Hidden in the Storm
by Rokhi
Summary: She stands in the shadows, but fire burns through darkness. He reaches out, whether she likes it or not. Complete.
1. New Kid

In case you haven't guessed, although I'm sure you hate hearing this, this is my first fanfiction. I've never tried it before, and I'm expecting it come out terribly. If you have any thoughts, criticisms, whatever...please review. (If nobody reads it, I won't bother taking up server space with it --;; Depressing thought.) Anywho, drop me a line or two, and hopefully this will be able to slightly entertain you.

Disclaimer: "Vampire Knight" is owned by Matsuri Hino and published in Lala magazine and Shojo Beat magazine. I have no extrinsic motivation for doing this, so kindly don't sue me. Domo arigatou gozaimasu.

* * *

The dark spires of the Moon Dormitory glinted in the flashes of lightening as one lone car crashed down the road. Rain lashed at the windows and the headlights seemed unable to pierce more than a few feet into the darkness, but onwards it careened through the tempestuous night. The chauffer displayed no hesitation, pressing the accelerator as if the very demons of hell were hard on his rear bumper. His young passenger sat motionless and silent in the back, giving no indication that she noticed either the storm or the driver's reckless antics.

"Almost there, Miss," he called over his shoulder to the statue posing as a human behind him. The man received no reply, and sighed heavily at the lack of sound. It allowed for too much attention to be paid to the horrendous storm outside throwing itself at his small car, threatening to blow it off the road.

At long last, the gates of Cross Academy appeared and the half of the poor driver's nerve-wracking trek was over once he slid to a stop before the cold, iron bars. The girl noiselessly exited the vehicle, removed her luggage from the rear compartment, and stood alone before the barred school grounds in the torrential downpour, as the driver turned around and happily rid himself of the bleak scenery.

There was no doorbell to ring, no button to press, and the slippery metal bars did not look as though they would yield willingly to a simple push. The girl continued standing there, her shoulder-length silver strands plastered to her head. Never mind that the wind still howled as ferociously as before, she stood there, unwavering.

"KYAAAA!!!" A loud scream ripped through the stormy dusk. Without a doubt, a sound this loud, coming from a large multitude of girls at Cross Academy, could mean only one thing: the Night Class was coming out. It was the same thing every night, and the exhausting ritual never failed to frustrate the two "guardians" of the school, or disciplinary committee members, Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu. No matter how many times the squealing, fainting, generally annoying fan girls saw the beautiful members of the Night Class walk out of their dorms, they couldn't help but disturb the peace with their ear-piercing shrieks every single time.

Of course, the school's guardians were not present every evening to protect the Night Class from little girls. They were there to protect the Night Class's secret: the Night Class was made up entirely of vampires. It was no wonder they were so beautiful to behold. They were supernatural creatures. Who wouldn't want to stare at that? Meanwhile, struggling to outdo the Day Class girls' happy cries, the wind gusted and the rain poured harder than before.

Amidst all this commotion, one lone Day Class girl with a soaked white band around her arm identifying her as a member of the disciplinary committee attempted to gain everyone's attention with a small, silver whistle and yelled out, "Due to dangerous weather conditions, all Day Class students are asked to immediately report back to their dorms! I repeat, report back to your dorms!" Yuki instantly saw dozens of angry glares being thrown her way. Flinching just a little, she reassumed her "stern" face and shouted again, "Everyone inside, NOW!"

There was some general grumbling about going in after waiting all day for this event, but everyone quickly sprinted away when the other school guardian, Kiryu, suddenly appeared behind Yuki and gave a glare of his own that far outdid any of the angry fan girls'. (The flash of lightening highlighting every scary shadow on Zero's face didn't hurt either.)

With the courtyard finally free of ignorant human witnesses, one lone vampire stepped forward from the crowd of them and commandingly pointed towards the gate. "Aido, Kain, go let our visitor in. The poor thing's been waiting in this rain for quite a while." Watching the one called Aido run off just a little too enthusiastically, he added, "Aido," glancing at his momentarily frozen form, "Behave."

Kain followed along behind his cousin at a much more leisurely pace, musing over the motives that must be prompting their leader's strange actions. Needless to say, he was trying to understand the mind of a very complex vampire, for Kaname Kuran was no ordinary creature of the night. While Akatsuki Kain and his cousin Hanabusa Aido were of vampire nobility, Kuran was one of the few and powerful purebloods. His blood was not tainted by a trace of a human's. Obviously, this made him the leader of the vampires around him, and, naturally, he was also the President of the Moon Dorm where the vampires of Cross Academy lived, peacefully.

"Why would Kaname-sama send us out to open the gates instead of Yuki or Kiryu? They're the school's guardians. They should be the ones welcoming guests…" Kain mumbled to himself. The rain was soaking his uniform and running down his shoulders and chest thanks to his constantly unbuttoned shirt and jacket. In this weather, buttoned or unbuttoned didn't really make any difference, but the extra wetness was troublesome all the same. "Hey, Aido!" Kain called. "Can you let the kid in alone? I need some dry clothes!"

Aido didn't respond. In fact, he stood before the still-closed gates as if frozen. He understood why Kaname-sama had sent his two right-hand vampires instead of the mortal committee members. Even behind the safety of the iron bars, it was all Aido could do not to tremble. The girl wasn't even looking at him yet. She was still gazing at the ground, but her aura seeped into everything and everyone around her. And it pierced his soul. He could feel the power behind it. It was being dulled, held back, controlled, but he could feel it. Then, just as suddenly as the wave had hit him, it was gone, as if it had never been there.

"Begging your pardon, sir," a soft, firm voice wafted through the rain, ringing clearly in Aido's ears, "but is this Cross Academy?" For the first time she looked up at the people before her. The one standing directly in front of her was still recovering from her momentary lapse in control. She would need to remedy that little problem very soon.

The other boy who had walked out with this first one was just becoming clear through the sheets of rain. Those purple eyes searched for the cause of his cousin's strange behavior, but she would make sure they did not find it. It would make things much more difficult for her later on.

"You! What're you doing out here?" Kain yelled as he reached the gates, all thoughts of manners gone from his mind in light of Aido's shocked stance. The girl was staring at him rather intently, and it was more than a little disconcerting. The stormy gray depths of her eyes matched the storm they were standing in, and, Kain suspected, held just as many mysteries as a dark, stormy night could conceal. Her appearance as a whole was strangely familiar. Silver hair and gray eyes, a little bit on the tall side….who did that remind him of?

Bowing slightly and allowing her dripping strands to mask her face yet again, the girl calmly replied, "My apologies. I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Arashi Kiryu. I am a new student here in the Day Class."


	2. Daddy Has A New Daughter!

Apologies in advance for all the annoying background information…if it's too boring, just skip over it. Hope this isn't so bad that someone feels the urge to kill his/herself XP

Disclaimer: "Vampire Knight" belongs to Matsuri Hino. Arashi is mine. (No, I'm not making any money here, so don't sue me. I can't afford it.)

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Kaname Kuran had felt her presence as soon as he stepped outside. She was struggling to control it, to conceal it, but he sensed it, even dimmed as it was. He had felt something else in her before he had gone two steps into the rain: she was a killer. He couldn't send his dear girl, Yuki, to face this stranger until he knew more, and she had felt so strong that he didn't want to chance sending in anyone less than his most powerful vampires. Even Kiryu, a human-turned-vampire, might not be enough if the girl turned out to be an enemy.

Kain stood there, almost as frozen as Aido, although the normally energetic, bubbly boy was now doubly stunned. He had endured a small aura probe and was now reeling from the added shock of hearing that name, Kiryu. All of the Kiryu family, except the one already acting as a guardian for Cross Academy, had been killed off 4 years ago in a bloody massacre. Kain, likewise, could scarcely believe his own ears. Her resemblance to Zero Kiryu was strikingly similar. In fact, they looked so alike, they could be twins.

The very thought brought a sudden shudder to Kain's soaking form. He remembered all too well the events that had occurred barely a week ago, though it seemed like an eternity had passed. A new vampire in the Night Class had turned out to be the pureblood Shizuka Hiou, the one who had killed Zero's family. She had tried to make Yuki a vampire by promising to prevent Zero from morphing into a Level E vampire- a blood-thirsty monster with no sense or reason, only bloodlust. Zero had saved Yuki but been forced to face the unhappy truth. Not only was his twin brother Ichiru still alive, but he had asked Shizuka to change Zero instead of killing him 4 years ago, and he also wanted to kill him himself.

Unknown to all but Aido and Kain at the moment, for they told each other everything, Kuran had been the one to kill Shizuka and take her blood. Ichiru held Zero responsible and wanted him dead more than ever, but no one had seen him since he ran off after his master's death.

Attempting to adopt a light tone, and failing miserably, Kain sought at least one very important answer. "Kiryu, huh? Any relation to Zero Kiryu?"

"You don't need to play dumb with me, vampire." Her abrupt change of voice was sharp enough to snap Aido out of his stupor, and he began unlock the gates. "I can see my brother over there very clearly along with Kaname Kuran, the last of the Kuran line. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to speak with them. Now." Her words were polite, but the authority with which she spoke them left no room for argument.

Regaining his composure, Kain gave one of his small smirks and silently turned around to lead Arashi back to Kaname-sama. She followed his lead and said nothing more.

Aido finally came back to himself and a silly smile burst upon his face. "How wonderful to have such a beautiful girl as yourself here at our school! May I carry your bags?"

"Thank you, but I don't take help from vampires." Arashi appeared to have her brother's hatred for vampires as well as his hair and eyes. It made the whole situation feel rather stiff and awkward, as any situation involving Zero and vampires together usually did.

Whining pitifully, Aido pressed, "Awww….give me a chance. We could be the next major fairy tale! The handsome Prince Aido and the beautiful Princess Kiryu! Happily ever after!" His flitting back and forth from one side of her to the other and back again was getting increasingly annoying.

Working extremely hard to resist the urge to punch the clingy vampire, Arashi retreated behind her mask of disinterested calm. "Happy endings don't happen." It wasn't an opinion. It was a fact of life that she had learned the hard way many times over. It was also the end of that conversation.

Kain took this opportunity to stop while still a short distance from Kaname-sama and the others. The rain had slowed to a mere drizzle and was lightly tapping away at his head. Arashi Kiryu continued forward, leaving him and Aido alone.

"Well, it's a shame that she has such a grim outlook on life," Aido piped up again. That boy could not keep his mouth shut.

Chewing the thought for a second, Kain replied, "She may be a girl, but Kiryu-san is still from a family of vampire hunters. I doubt her upbringing was that of a normal human girl."

Aido folded his arms across his chest and nodded his head in agreement. After this brief moment of seriousness, he loudly announced, "It's too wet out here! I'm ditching class and going inside where it's warm and dry, Akatsuki-kun!"

It seemed that everyone else, excluding Kaname, the guardians, and their guest, had decided upon a similar course of action. The last of their backs could be seen wandering into the front doors of the Moon Dorm. Shrugging without a care either way, Kain followed his hyperactive cousin, who had started a mad dash for the slowly closing doors, without a backwards glance at the foursome still standing in the rain.

Arashi had heard every word they had said. Obviously, she didn't pay attention to the nonsense about ditching class, but she found Akatsuki's last comments about herself very ironic. (Come to think of it, those impolite morons had never properly introduced themselves to her.) He had assumed that she was a "human girl." She was less human than these bloodsucking monsters she abhorred so vehemently. But they didn't need to know that, not yet. So she would rein her abilities in for the time-being until it was time to strike and accomplish the goals she had set out to fulfill.

Kaname looked at the thoughtful expression playing across this new girl's face and was worried. She could be thinking anything and not knowing what was killing him. He was not accustomed to being unable to find out what he wished to know. However, if she would not speak of her own free will tonight, he would be sure to find another, more suitable time and place with fewer witnesses.

"My name is Arashi Kiryu." After taking a second to allow the impact of her words to register on her audience's faces, she continued, "As you might have guessed, I am a relative of yours, Zero. In fact, I am your older twin sister."

Yuki couldn't help but exclaim, "No way! I never knew Zero had a sister!" Her excitement over the discovery was short-lived as neither Kaname nor Zero expressed any of the same sentiments.

"Neither did I," the imposing younger twin mumbled in response. Arashi's eyes strayed over to him. She didn't miss much. But he wouldn't be the only one to be shocked tonight. "The only Kiryu twin I was aware of is Ichiru, the one who betrayed our family to the pureblood Shizuka and currently wants me dead."

Zero had spoken calmly and simply, as though commenting on the weather, but his "weather report" had its intended effect. Arashi's eyes momentarily widened in surprise before her entire face immediately darkened with hatred. "Is Shizuka still alive?" she demanded. Her voice was carefully level but held an underlying dangerous edge.

"No. She was found dead here at the school about a week ago, and Ichiru disappeared," Zero clarified. He could see in his supposed sister's eyes how lucky Ichiru was that he was not present to meet her. She would have killed him on the spot.

Meanwhile, Kaname looked to be only slightly unsettled by the revelation of the new girl's ties to Zero. If Arashi had been a vampire, he would have known immediately. Being from a strong family of vampire huntersat least partially accounted for her magical presence. But it still left many questions unanswered.

She knew they were all still wondering about her. "I'm sure you all have many questions for me," she said aloud, stating the painfully obvious, "but they will have to wait for another time. For the moment, I would like to speak to the headmaster and get some sleep. Miss, perhaps you could show me to his office?"

"Oh, yes!" Yuki snapped to attention. "Follow me right this way! And please, call me Yuki!" Her smile and cheerful manner would've brightened up the dreary landscape if Arashi didn't already harbor far darker secrets, but, as it was, her stoic visage remained.

They left the two boys behind and headed towards the headmaster's house. It was late after all. However, before she had gone too far, Arashi heard Kaname's voice whisper across her mind. _Rest for now, but you and I will talk again. And I will have the answers I seek, my storm._

Suddenly, there was a loud "CRACK" behind the two girls' retreating backs. Yuki turned around in alarm and saw Kaname had crashed into the trunk of a very thick tree. She was about to rush over to her fallen prince, but a firm hand on her arm stayed her actions.

"Don't worry. He's a vampire. Something so small will barely leave a scratch." Arashi hadn't even glanced back at the scene of splintered wood where Zero was currently attempting to hide a small, evil smirk. This was too much fun for him. Yuki wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but she did as she was told and returned to leading Arashi to her adoptive father, the headmaster of Cross Academy.

Kaname was not in the least bit pleased. If he had known that he was going to be thrown into a tree for a small telepathic message, he would have risked saying everything out loud in front of Yuki. However, this did lend further support to his suspicions that Arashi was no ordinary Kiryu, although she did seem to harbor their hatred for vampires. Still, she was not to be underestimated. Kaname would watch her for the time being and learn more. Perhaps Aido and Kain, or maybe the Night class Vice-president Takuma Ichijo and Senri Shiki. It did not matter at that moment. All that mattered was getting away from Zero's amused glare and getting those stupid splinters out of his butt.

Aido stared out the window and flinched as he saw Kaname-sama thrown back by some invisible force. He knew she did it. After feeling her soul stretched out in some magical wave inside his, there was no way he could mistake the feeling. Kaname-sama appeared to be fine, except perhaps for his pride. Tonight would probably be a good night to leave him alone.

Kain, being the lazy bum that he was, had already reclined against the fluffy pillows on his bed in their shared room. He looked like he was only moments away from sleep even though they'd woken up barely an hour ago. Well, if he wanted to sleep tonight away, he was welcome to. Aido, on the other hand, had much more interesting plans in mind. How could he not? The new girl was named Arashi Kiryu.

Headmaster Cross's glasses glinted evilly, and then he exploded. "I HAVE ANOTHER DAUGHTER! I MUST BE THE LUCKIEST DAD IN THE WOR—! " Thump. Rubbing the painfully large bump on his head, he continued in a much more subdued manner, "Yes, you are certainly Zero's twin sister. (No one else would hit me that hard.)"

Yuki had left for bed, and Arashi was more than ready to follow suit and get some sleep. "You can drop the games, Headma—"

"NO! I insist that you call me 'Papa,'" the dramatic headmaster interrupted.

"No." Arashi was in no mood to deal with this sort of nonsense. Keeping her aura suppressed, meeting one of her twin brothers, finding out her other brother was a traitor, and talking to Kaname Kuran had left her completely drained and very grumpy. "Listen, Sir, I'm exhausted, so why don't you just tell me what you want to know and let me get some sleep?"

There was an immediate change in his bearing. He was no longer the clumsy, eccentric headmaster everyone knew. Here sat a gravely serious man who was ready to conduct business. "Very well, then. Let's begin with the obvious: why didn't I, Zero, or anyone else for that matter know that you existed?"

Sighing, Arashi thought for a moment. What was the best way to put this without revealing just what a monster she was? "I am the oldest of the Kiryu triplets. I was whisked away from my family the moment I was born to be trained. I had… unusual gifts that would make me one of the greatest vampire hunters alive, if properly tutored. My family wouldn't have been able to do that, so they gave me up and never spoke of me again."

"Why are you here? Looking for a happy ending to a sad childhood?"

This was where things got a bit tricky for the huntress. No one could be allowed to know her plans yet. It would only cause trouble. However, the headmaster had given her the perfect way out of that particular question with his add-on, so she replied, "Happy endings don't happen, but I'm willing to open up a new chapter in my story where I know my brother."

"Interesting." The cool, calculating man sitting at the desk before her obviously didn't believe her little half-truth, but he didn't press the subject further. "I only have one more question for you tonight…" His face suddenly regained its original beaming smile and rosy tint. "Will you join the Cross Academy Disciplinary Committee, be a school guardian, and protect the Night Class's secret with Yuki and Zero?" The man. Had practically. Squealed.

It took everything in her tired body not to kill him on the spot. _Zero, I feel your pain,_ she muttered in her head. However, she was desperate to get some sleep and refused to think about the implications of accepting this role. "Sure." _Now, let me get some sleep!_

* * *

Sorry it was kind of vague...for anyone wondering where the "romance" part of the story comes in, I have ideas. Apologies again...short and story do not go in the same sentence in my mind unless it's "Akai-sora cannot write a short story." Yep, I tend to go complicated. Anywho, please review if you've actually read all of this junk and have any comments, criticisms, ideas, or mindless ravings...Thanks!

(By the way, I do not have a set schedule for updates, so next chapter will be up when it's up. Sorry if it's not quick enough. -;; )


	3. Oh, Look: Blood

(Ok, found a spelling error, so went insane and had to repost chapter...slight OCD...xP ) 

Hi again! Major apologies on not updating for a while...computer problems + loads of work to do + general laziness (not really, I've actually been working pretty hard on this XP) hold ups on the updates. Anywho, hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! I mean, I won't die if you don't, but it makes life more enjoyable, and I like hearing people's questions, comments, and criticisms so I can explain, comment back, and fix.

Big "THANK YOU" to xXBloodRoseXx and RadiantBeam for their reviews!!! I feel so loved and appreciated o!!!

Disclaimer: Matsuri Hino owns "Vampire Knight", not me, unless someone comes up with a brain-switching machine XD!!! (I can dream...)

* * *

Chapter 3

With Yuki fast asleep, it became Zero's job to escort his sister to her room. Her control was slipping and her aura was seeping out into her surroundings again, but, strangely enough, it didn't bother Zero in the least, even at such close range with such a high intensity. In fact, the feeling was comforting and familiar, like a long lost friend, or twin sister perhaps.

What was he thinking? Perhaps? From the moment he'd laid eyes upon Arashi, there'd been no doubt in his mind that she was his sister, despite his outward suspicion. Something about the immediate closeness he'd felt with her, although the fact that she looked so much like him didn't hurt. She was almost a silver-haired, gray-eyed, slightly taller version of Yuki, but she was unmistakably related to Zero.

"What did they do to you?" Zero asked bluntly. He'd just "happened" to be passing by the door of the headmaster's office during Arashi's interrogation and had "accidentally" heard everything.

Sighing resignedly, Arashi supposed she owed her twin at least a little more of the truth than anyone else. "The people who trained me? Well, they wanted me to be the ultimate vampire killer, so they made me into the perfect assassin: a monster worse than those she hunted. I suppose, in the end, you can't kill without becoming more despicable than your prey." Her voice did not change and her body did not tremble with anger or fear, but Zero could feel her absolute _fury _blaze through her aura.

Finding some irony in their situation, the boy allowed a grim smile to appear. "Funny, isn't it, that the last members of a family of vampire hunters are a traitor, a monster, and even a real vampire?"

She had felt the vampiric bloodlust in him from the start, but it still stung to know that her little brother regarded himself as an abomination, not unlike her own feelings toward herself. "Not tonight, but soon, we will talk more about your 'conversion,'" She steeled her expression against the look she knew Zero must have been giving her. "I cannot make you human again, but I may be able to eliminate the risk of your becoming a Level E vampire."

A mixed look of disbelief and a little hope crossed Zero's face before he feel back behind his usual grim mask. "Another time, then." They had reached Arashi's new room. For one awkward moment, Zero wondered how he ought to bid his sister good night. After a second of indecision, he settled upon a light embrace and a quickly whispered, "Night."

With his back quickly disappearing down the dark hallway, Arashi released a deep sigh of relief. Although she'd been begging for sleep, in actuality, her fatigue came from restraining her power in an environment full of vampires. Whenever it perceived a threat to itself, or her since she _was_ it, it attempted to break out and take care of whatever was wrong.

Sleep wouldn't help now. What Arashi needed was something she had used many times before- a distraction to keep her power busy until it could tell that the vampires here posed no threat, yet.

She opened the door.

The change in temperature was immediately noticeable. Her breath was visible in the air of her small dorm room. Suddenly, ice swept through the small area covering everything, including Arashi's feet. She knew who it was, of course. Besides the fact that she just knew many things, one can't poke around someone else's soul without recognizing that person later.

"As entertaining as this is, Aido, I am in severe need of sleep." Her shoulders slumped with an invisible weight, presumably from exhaustion, and her eyelids drooped dangerously low over her dimmed gaze. "How did you find me anyway? I was only just assigned this room."

A bright smile lit Aido's face as he replied, "The same way you knew it was me, but…" Abruptly, the smile fled and was replaced with a dangerous scowl. "I am not happy. Whatever you did to me, it won't stop. I can't think about anything else but that feeling of having you reach into my heart, like a burning sensation. But I want more."

This was not good. This was part of why Arashi was such a dangerous killer. The power in her, it acted like a lantern that would attract bugs out for a night stroll. The bugs would see the light and know that it would kill them, but it was so alluring. They still had to fly straight into it, and then they died. In her case, vampires were the night bugs. Just sending out her aura alone would be enough to draw many in, but for someone who had been directly hit, he would need a tremendous amount of self-control to break her power's hold on him.

Aido had first seemed so happy and a little, well, dim, but the Aido slowly inching towards Arashi at this moment acted like a completely different person. Where he had been cheerful and flirtatious, he was now cold and demanding. This foolishness needed to end soon. She just needed a second to ensure another week or so of relative safety for everyone else. But Aido showed no signs of slowing his advance.

"You won't pierce me again, will you?" Aido slurred into her ear. Even his breath held the frigid lack of warmth he had spread throughout the room. "Well…" His bright smile returned on cue, much as the headmaster's had not long before. "That's okay. I don't really want it that much anyway. It kind of hurt." Arashi was about to release a very large pent-up breath when Aido changed right back into a cold-hearted, hungry vampire. "However," he continued, sliding his mouth down the girl's neck, "I do want a taste."

His fangs were showing, and they were about ready to puncture her skin and release the flow of blood that lay beneath. Arashi couldn't speak. Everything in her was fighting against herself. She wanted to shout at Aido to run for his life before she lost it, but she couldn't spare the slightest bit of her mind in this struggle.

Finally, she lost. Well, not entirely, but the surge of power, which was by this time running on full blast thanks to the threat of having her blood sucked, enveloped Arashi's body in the flames that normally ran through her blood in a form of energy. Aido was thrown back against the far wall, which wasn't very far away considering the small size of an average dorm room. Somehow, she had managed to make sure that she didn't kill him. Every inch of ice melted away into steam before quickly disappearing.

In the midst of all this madness, Arashi reached for the small silver dagger always hidden in her right boot. Aido had pulled the last straw when he leaned in to bite her. There were no restraints left and something had to be done.

So, she stabbed herself. Plunging that little dagger right through her heart, she watched her flames rush to prevent any blood from touching the floor. They stopped the intense bleeding coming from her chest, and within moments, Arashi was able to stand and pull her dagger out of her torso without feeling any real pain. It was only the first stroke that hurt in this semi-normal routine, and her fire would be too busy healing her back to full strength for the next week to respond so violently to the nearby vampires. With any luck, it would have accepted them as peaceful by the time she was well and another "distraction" wouldn't be necessary for it.

Still tightly clutching her weapon, Arashi stepped over to where Aido lay unconscious. All of a sudden, she stumbled and fell to her knees beside his motionless form. Carelessness. Although she was practically impossible to kill, even _her_ body had to hit limits of some kind after being stabbed in the heart.

Using the dagger as a makeshift smelling salt, Arashi held it under the vampire's nose and watched his eyes slowly flutter open as he inhaled the scent of blood.

Aido looked so innocent and confused. "What happened?" he murmured, groaning in his efforts to sit up and finding many new bruises. His gaze fell upon the silver metal still resting in the hand of the girl kneeling beside him. "Are you going to finish that?"

Suppressing a look of disgust, Arashi simply stated, "Help yourself." The vampire snatched the dagger away and without a second thought, began to lick it clean. "You idiot, I could've killed you. And that last burst of power will probably lead every vampire in the area right to me," she reprimanded.

But Aido's mind was far too focused on the blood he was licking to hear a word she said. Its taste was everything her aura had suggested and more: it held the energy of the fire she was a part of, but at the same time, it was intoxicatingly rich and calming. Nothing Aido had ever had to drink before came even close to paralleling this flavor, much less surpassing it. What was more, despite the miniscule amount on the stained knife, he found himself completely full and his bloodlust gone by the time it was clean.

Finally taking his eyes off his snack and glancing up at his prey-turned-rescuer, Aido saw an impossible depth of weariness and sorrow covering her face. Placing the dagger on the ground, he tentatively inquired, "Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine." Aido looked entirely unconvinced, so Arashi attempted a small smile. It looked as forced and pained as she felt.

Acting on a sudden, irresistible impulse, Aido wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a strong embrace where he was seated on the floor. Like any good hunter, she recoiled against the unwanted contact with the enemy, but he held her fast.

Forcing her trained instincts down, Arashi silently willed her limbs to relax. The added muscle tension wasn't helping her injured body at all. Calming the large parts of her mind that wanted to kill this vampire on the spot, she leaned a little closer into the front of his uniform.

Aido was still busy trying to figure out why in the night he'd grabbed Arashi. He'd just met her, she was Zero Kiryu's sister (and the vampire-hating school guardian would probably kill him when he found out about this), and she had just survived stabbing herself in the heart. The wound had been painfully visible. He might have even glimpsed one of her ribs through the hole. This situation, a vampire trying to comfort a vampire hunter, made no sense at all, but it was happening.

Maybe it had something to do with drinking her blood. Perhaps there was something in it that acted like a drug, reducing his common sense to a whisper in the back of his mind. If that was true, and he had only tasted a few drops, Aido could only imagine what a long drink from Arashi's neck would have done.

Then, Aido was sitting on the floor of his bedroom, surrounded by a small circle of fire, and grasping at thin air. Reverting to his serious persona, he muttered with a slightly evil glint in his eyes, "Well, who knew? It looks like the girl can teleport with fire. No wonder she didn't fight me… she was just building up enough concentration to send me away. No fair." A small chuckle escaped him and woke his cousin from a very light slumber.

"Aido, where've you been?" Kain yawned.

Plastering a happy smile on, he replied, "Is Kaname-sama still mad about that tree thing?" Aido was obviously dodging the question, but Kain let it slide and shrugged in response.

Getting up and walking around a bit, Aido was instantly struck with inspiration. Books of all colors and sizes lay scattered on one of the two simple, wooden desks pushed against the wall. Aido sifted through all the research journals until he came upon a buried volume of vampire legends and lore. Carelessly flipping through the pages, he nonchalantly called across to his cousin, who was _still_ laying on his bed, "Kain, what do you remember about elementals?"


	4. Stupid Pureblood

**Author's Note:**

**Major apologies on the severe interim 'tween updates. I'd give excuses, I mean reasons, but I know no one cares, so I'll save myself the trouble.**

**Special thanks to reviewers: xXBloodRoseXx , RadiantBeam , and George should be Peter .**

**Anywho, here's Chapter 4...once again, flame, review, whatever...just say something!!! Please, I'm begging...what do I need? A puppy dog face? I can put the beagle in my place! Will that work? (Yes, I know you all hate hearing this junk...so ignore it if it's that annoying.)**

**Enjoy (hopefully)**

**Disclaimer: Still haven't managed to convince the bouncer at the door that I'm Matsuri Hino, so I guess I still don't own it. (Besides which, I'm still dirt poor)**

* * *

Chapter 4:

It was Arashi's first night of "Guardian Duty." Day classes had been unbelievably boring, and the cold front that followed Zero wherever he went seemed to work the same way with her. The other students stayed away, except for Yuki, who took it upon herself to be as friendly as possible to the new girl.

Now, it was once again time for the nightly squeals and "Kyaaaaa's," and there was no storm tonight to drive them inside. Well, none yet, as Arashi was seriously considering summoning fire from the sky just to get rid of the colossal headache so many high-pitched noises were giving her.

"Must not kill screaming fan girls, must not kill screaming fan girls…" she muttered under her breath like a mantra. And they were definitely pressing their luck at this point.

The gates finally swung open and the Night class strode out in all their other-worldly beauty, and the screams and squeals culminated into a deafening roar. Arashi couldn't take it anymore.

Gathering up a very small portion of energy, she focused it into one very important, very loud word: "QUIET!!!!!!" Everyone froze. Turning a glare worthy of a ravaging wild fire upon those idiotic, fanatic fans, her voice dripping with venom, she ordered, "All Day class students inside, now."

There was no room for argument. After one final glance at the purely evil look in the new guardian's eyes, every single fan girl (and a few boys) sprinted back to the dormitories.

"Good job, Arashi! Way to keep order!" Yuki shouted across the courtyard. She had never seen the Day students respond that obediently, not even to Zero. Well, he came close, once, but it looked like this was one thing his big sister was better at than him.

"Please, no more shouting," Arashi whispered as she reached up a cool hand to ease the burning heat on her forehead. Small fevers sometimes accompanied her healing process for a day or two, but she couldn't afford to let anyone else know about that. Of course, she was already taking a pretty big leap of faith, trusting Aido to have the common sense not to mention her personal "distraction" to anyone else.

Meanwhile, the path of the hand moving towards her forehead was interrupted as another hand, much larger than her own, placed itself on her brow first.

"Wow, you're burning up!" that annoyingly peppy voice exclaimed. "You must be really sick if you couldn't even sense my prese…yluch!"

Aido's throat was caught in the extremely tight grip of the hand Arashi had been raising up to her face before his interference.

Choking this vampire, one she still needed to hurt for invading her room and personal space last night, was acting as a small bit of stress relief, but Arashi knew she'd be better off once he was in class and far away from her. "Keep your dirty vampire hands off me, or I'll reduce you to a pile of ashes."

After a short flight through the air, Aido landed in front of a very disgruntled Kain. "Come on," he drawled, lending a hand up to his cousin, who was gingerly rubbing his neck. "We're going to be late, and Kaname-sama doesn't look too happy."

Glancing over at the dorm president, Aido saw that Kaname was indeed sending an unusually strong death glare in his direction. So, after a small wave and wink at Arashi, who was ignoring him very convincingly, he dashed off with Kain, once again, following slowly behind.

Meanwhile, Zero and Arashi had turned back to their official duties as guardians. Several of the vampires looked more than a little perturbed over the new girl's treatment of one of their own.

Clutching the Bloody Rose gun in his pocket, a weapon capable of killing vampires, Zero shouted, "All of you, get to class now!

Softly fingering the handle of the dagger hidden in her left sleeve, Arashi added, "Tardiness will not be tolerated." Even with an immensely low-level aura, the vampires still outside knew that attempting to fight this girl would be a mistake.

As they grumbled and headed towards the classrooms, Arashi directed her attention to her fellow guardians, and found Kaname Kuran's hand resting on the head of one of them.

However, Zero, predictably, had already started making his way over to the pureblood, so Arashi figured she could turn in for the night and give her raging headache a chance to go away.

Five or six steps later: "Ditching your first night on the job?" Kuran was right behind her.

Stopping and turning to face the vampire, knowing she'd probably regret this later, Arashi half-heartedly asked, "Didn't Zero send you off to join the other blood-sucking freaks, Kuran?"

She was determined to make things difficult, even in her obviously weakened state. Brushing aside her insult and ill-concealed attempt to get rid of him, he continued, "Yes, but I thought tonight would be ideal for us to have our little chat. And it's 'Kaname.'"

"Not tonight, Kuran." The other night she'd claimed to be tired while really needing to stab herself to distract her fire powers. Tonight she was actually tired and feeling like collapsing. Such a severe injury usually required at least ten hours of sleep the night after.

Kaname softly grabbed Arashi's chin as she dipped her head and made to head back to her dorm again. Tilting her face to look back into his, he noticed just how pale her skin was.

"I think sooner would be better than later, if you're up to it," he tried to convince her.

Arashi grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from her chin. What was with the vampires here? Did this "peaceful" environment give them the delusional thought that it was okay to go around touching and hugging vampire hunters? If either Aido or Kuran had tried this anywhere but at Cross Academy, Arashi would have tossed their lifeless bodies into a filthy river by now.

Zero and Yuki were nowhere to be seen, so Arashi conceded. "Make it quick."

Under the eaves of the trees by the Moon Dormitory's gate, Kaname stated his case. "I know you're an Elemental, and you know I'm a pureblood. What are you doing here at Cross? Why did the Vampire Hunters' Council send you here?"

It was extremely tempting to throw the arrogant, stuck up, I-know-all vampire into another tree, but Arashi could play it cool if Kuran could. "Correct, correct, and what makes you think the Council sent me?"

Suddenly, a book seemed to magically appear from behind Kaname's back. He opened it to a bookmarked page and began to read, "Elementals: among the most dangerous of foes to vampire-kind; known to be born every few generations to families holding strong magic; ageless; almost impossible to kill; due to almost all being born to vampire hunting families, are known to be the most powerful weapons held by the Vampire Hunters' Council." After a short pause, during which Kaname allowed Arashi to clearly see why he had made the assumption he did, he finished with a flourish, "Alberto Roffmansky's Revised Edition of the Vampire Encyclopedia."

What Arashi wouldn't have given to tear this smart aleck limb from limb on the spot, but she kept her composure. "It's true that I have been a tool of the Council for most of my life, but when my teachers, the Council's other Elementals, were murdered, I decided to take my leave."

This little bit of information grabbed Kaname's attention. "Who would have the power to kill a group of Elementals? I doubt even I could do that."

The young girl couldn't help but smirk a smidge, but she tossed her hair to hide her face with a swift turn of the head. Arashi knew for a fact that Kuran could never hope to defeat one Elemental, let alone a small group, on his own power.

Time slowly crawled along as they stood there, but it felt like hours had passed to Arashi's throbbing head. She was starting to have a little more difficulty staying upright, and there was no way she was going to pass out in front of Kuran. Go unconscious in front of a pack of ravenous wolves? Sure, why not? In front of Kuran? Not a chance.

"Well, if that's all, Kuran, I'll be getting some shut-eye." This was it. She could finally escape. For a hunter, she sure did seem to run away a lot.

"Wait, Arashi, you still haven't answered my question," Kaname pointed out in that voice of his, dripping with authority and superiority. He was used to getting his way when he used that voice.

And it was beginning to annoy Arashi almost as much as Aido's antics. (Although, she might be able to get used to those. This she wanted to beat out of him.) "When you have enough propriety to address me as Kiryu we'll talk more." She walked back to her room, and this time no one tried to stop her.

Just as she reached for her door knob, however, the door opened, seemingly, of its own accord, until Kuran's head popped out from behind it. "Good evening, Kiryu. I just realized that I did have another matter to discuss with you."

"What is it with you vampires and barging into people's rooms uninvited?!" Arashi somehow yelled without raising her voice above a whisper.

Kaname's eyes flashed dangerously. "Has this happened before?" That would explain a lot.

"Many times," Arashi nonchalantly shot back, walking in, throwing her uniform jacket on the floor, and flopping on her back on the bed.

The confusion on Kaname's face was evident as he pressed, "Last night, there was an unfamiliar smell of blood in the air. I could only suppose it was yours and I would like to know what happened."

Kuran was always so sure in his assumptions, but at least he didn't seem sure enough to make Arashi suppose that Aido had spilled one of her secrets. "My blood, you say?" Withdrawing her blade, she drew a thin line along her left forearm, a tiny sliver of red barely visible. "Did it smell like this?"

She had the control of a hunter, not a hint of pain leaking through her stoic exterior, Kaname would give her that. The smell was strong, and he could almost taste the power behind it in the air. "Yes, it was you. How did it happen?" he repeated.

"A slip of the knife." Alright, that wasn't completely untrue. Arashi had "slipped" the knife into her heart. Still, letting him know about this could make things messy later. She needed to throw him off the scent, or, in this case, maybe onto it. "The way you're staring at it, I'm guessing you want a taste."

It wasn't a guess. She knew. Anyone could have looked at Kaname's eyes at that moment and seen the bloodlust. He stepped closer to the bed and the beautiful blood, ready for the taking.

"One thing, though: with your being a pureblood, it might be safer if you just lick the knife." Arashi held up the silver dagger to Kuran, the same dagger she had stabbed herself with and allowed Aido to lick. Oh, she'd let Aido lick it clean. Had she washed it after that? Well, that wasn't important at that moment. Besides, blood was blood to these monsters.

Night blood! She had to stop at least thinking of them as monsters. After all, her brother was one, and as long as they didn't go around stealing blood, she had no real reason to hate them. That was the Council's job.

The dagger was long gone from Arashi's hold. Kaname had spent a few moments staring at the magical red fluid glistening on the metal blade, but then he'd promptly licked away at it like a cat with a fresh bowl of cream. When the knife was clean, he carefully returned it to its owner.

"If you don't mind, you may be nocturnal, but I'm not." That was clearly Kaname's cue to go. But he stood there a moment more, hovering over her pale body, limp on the mattress.

Her blood, the precious few drops he'd drunk, made him feel so full, and at the same time so empty. He couldn't have his dear girl, Yuki. It pained him every day, but here, at last, was something that might ease that pain. He shouldn't do this to a human, even an Elemental, but it wouldn't hurt Arashi much, and he wouldn't leave any lasting damage.

Without s sound, Kaname eased himself onto the bed. Her exposed neck and the promise of her fire blood was just too much for him. He leaned across her body and bared his fangs at the vein whose pulsing flow was calling out to him.

"Kuran." She was still very awake, and that wasn't a greeting. That was a warning.

He slipped away from Arashi's body and stood. She still hadn't moved, but Kaname's heightened senses could feel how hard she was working to not kill him at that moment.

She grinned a little as she reprimanded, "You should really think more before you go for the nearest unwilling blood donor. What would Yuki have thought if she'd walked in on that?"

Arashi was right! What if Yuki had seen that, and… wait a second. How in the night did Arashi know that Kaname liked Yuki? That sneaky little hunter read his mind!

While transporting the fuming Kuran back to his room was a very agreeable option, Arashi knew she'd pay for letting her powers loose after such a threatening encounter with a sleepless night of reigning them back in. Besides, he was already walking out.

"I suppose I'll see you later, Kiryu," Kaname turned at the door and called back before leaving the room.

"I wonder why Kaname wasn't in class," vice-president Ichijo said to no one in particular.

This simple statement earned him a rather harsh glare from Ruka Souen, a very devout follower of Kaname-sama. Sure, everyone was thinking the same thing, but no one else had been stupid enough to voice it and give way to the possibility that maybe he had found something more important to attend to than his fellow vampires.

Ichijo mysteriously pulled out a volume of manga and pretended to be absorbed in it. Well, he didn't have to pretend for too long, and thus, he avoided Ruka's searing gaze.

Aido was feeling mischievous for some reason. "Maybe he went to welcome the new Kiryu!"

Many of his comrades were appalled. How could he suggest such a disgusting notion so happily? Kain shook his head. Here they went again.

Just about to make a dash for his room to escape the angry mob of vampires, Aido froze. He smelled something. It was so faint no one would detect it unless the scent had been imprinted on their memory at close range. He knew this particular smell.

Suddenly, Kaname-sama came into view. Souen breathed a sigh of relief, and Shiki tapped Ichijo on the shoulder, letting him know the coast was safe and he could put away the book.

No one asked the president where he'd been. They just followed him up to the dorm in silence, but Aido's mind was not so quiet. What was the scent of Arashi's blood doing on Kaname-sama's breath? Well, Kain was waiting for him to come up for bed right now, and the last thing he needed to do was arouse suspicion. But he _would_ find out later.

Up in their room, Aido's desk, previously holding scientific journals and articles, was overflowing with every legend, myth, and scrap of information on Elementals. He'd finally finished all of it, and it had left no doubt in his mind.

Kain was almost asleep already, but he was still his cousin, and Aido felt he should know what they were being watched by. Besides, they shared everything they knew, with the exception of that thing Arashi would kill Aido for if he ever told anyone. "Kain, Arashi Kiryu is an Elemental."

Lazily opening one eye, Kain glanced at his cousin. Aido wasn't in joking mode. He was dead serious. Elementals were more like fairy tales than anything else to Kain, but he believed Aido, and that meant that the new Kiryu was packing some major power.

"Should we tell Kaname-sama?" Kain knew the obvious answer and was surprised to find Aido take a moment to actually think about it.

Kaname-sama probably already knew. In fact, that would explain why he was near her earlier, even though it still didn't explain the blood. "Yes. We'll tell him tomorrow morning."

Aido finally abandoned his books and jumped in bed, toying with the idea of popping in on Arashi and asking her what had happened. There were still a good two or three hours until dawn. On the other hand, she'd kill him if he came into her room again, especially with how sick she had looked.


	5. Inside Zero's Head

Hello again.

Zero: Why are you so slow on updates?

Yuki: Zero-kun! That's not very nice! And after she made you sound like such a nice guy!

Akai-sora: Maybe if you were a more animated character, Mr. I'm-so-cool-I-don't-need-to-talk, I'd have more to write about!

Yuki: Come on, you guys! Stop fighting and let them read the chapter already! (It took long enough to get it up, and it's still pathetically short...-.-;;;)

Akai-sora: Who wants to thank the reviewers?

Yuki: Hugs, kisses, and all sorts of other chocolate to our reviewers in appreciation of their, well, reviews!

Zero: ...She's only handing out chocolate 'cause she's on a diet...lazy lard's getting herself fat...

Akai-sora: You know, Zero, I could make you do some pretty interesting things in this story...yes, all sorts of things...

Zero: gulps by the way, akai-sora doesn't own us 'cause she's too stupid to think us up on her own...oh look! The chapter's here already!

(Zero runs away)

And, finally, the chapter...as always: reviews are great...not expecting great ones, so no worries if you hate it...;P

* * *

Chapter 5:

"This is, without a doubt, the worst torture I have ever endured," Arashi muttered to herself as her head slowly drooped down towards her desk.

The droning continued. It was official. This teacher was the most boring man in existence. And he was currently shooting death glares at his newest student.

It wasn't' entirely Arashi's fault that she'd overslept and been late. The headmaster had been the one to give her the ridiculous working hours of a guardian, and that idiot, Kuran, seemed to have something against the doctor's recommended hours of sleep as well. Maybe she could have offered an apology for walking in an hour after class had started, but Arashi had barely been walking, much less forming coherent thoughts.

Huh? Why was everyone suddenly walking out? Oh, the lunch bell had rung. Even in peaceful territory, as a vampire hunter, she should have been more alert. Out from under the watchful eyes of her former mentors, Arashi was a really lazy Elemental. Stretching lightly as she stood, she prepared to head outside for a small nap in the sun. And a little food wouldn't hurt either.

The teacher had other plans. "Hold it right there, Kiryu-san. I think now would be the perfect time to catch up on what you missed of this morning's lesson."

Arashi spared the poor man a quick glance before replying, "Maybe later." Then she walked out.

Zero was already sitting under one of the large trees on the front lawn. He stood when he saw his sister approaching and debated whether or not to start a barrage of questions.

She beat him to the punch. "Why aren't you in my class?"

Despite a small hint of embarrassment, Zero answered just as concisely, "I was held back." Arashi didn't press any further, although Zero kind of wished she would. He wasn't stupid or anything. He'd just been absent too much.

Arashi lay down, leaned against the tree, and closed her eyes, ready to sleep. However, Zero had finally decided on interrogation mode. There was to be no rest for his sister this lunch break.

"What did Kuran want last night?"

Her glaring, quickly opened eyes said, "Why are you interrupting my nap?" But she answered aloud, "He knows I'm an Elemental, and he wanted to make sure I wasn't hunting."

"Elemental, huh?" He seemed to contemplate some very important matter for a moment. "Fire," he stated.

_The boy's good_, Arashi conceded to herself. _No one's been able to read me this easily since, well, never_.

She prepared to close her eyes again but caught a glimpse of Zero's face. He had more questions. "What else?"

Trying to mask the tiny bit of hope he felt, Zero continued, "You said you might be able to keep me from turning Level E. How?"

The yard was all but deserted. Lunch hour was drawing to a close. But Arashi's life of training wouldn't allow her to her guard down.

"Is there anywhere more private where we could discuss this?" Zero understood his sister's apprehension. You never knew who was listening.

"Follow me."

After a series of convoluted turns and locked doors, the twins emerged in the headmaster's secret gun range.

Guns had never been Arashi's weapon of choice when daggers were available, but this place could still be useful for firing off a few flames instead of bullets. "Interesting."

How could she act so calm? His life was at stake, no pun intended. Zero could barely contain himself. "How can you save me?"

_Alright, relax, Arashi_, she thought to herself. With any luck he won't completely flip out. Deep breath in, and release. Zero's emotionless mask was cracking. She probably shouldn't keep him waiting.

"I can go into your mind and find the smell of the blood from the pureblood who bit you. Then, I can find that blood, no matter where it is, and take it. You won't need much, and when I have enough, you can drink it and it'll be over."

"That's it?" Zero had forced his face into a haughty smirk. "If that's all it takes, let's get started now."

"We're already late for class," Arashi pointed out. She didn't want to risk having to see the headmaster again. That guy creeped her out. He was so clingy.

His smirk widened. "One day without school won't hurt you." Zero obviously didn't think much of ditching. No wonder he'd been held back.

"Fine. Have a seat."

The floor was cold and hard. Arashi sat across from Zero and took on the same statuesque appearance she'd used when she first met Kain and Aido.

Concentrate. The flames were still just simmering inside, slowly repairing the damage to her heart. Reaching into them, she found a small tendril of fire and pulled. It came out in a rush. Heat engulfed her body. Within seconds, her aura was straining against her defenses again.

After she had sufficiently reigned in the restless energy, Arashi focused her attention on Zero. He looked shocked but not hurt. Good. Her aura seemed to be leaving her brother unharmed despite his being a vampire. Time to go in.

It was like wading through a mudslide, going uphill. Everything was completely dark, even with Arashi in flame form. Her real body was still sitting on the floor of the gun range, but inside someone's mind, she didn't need to hide the power that was her.

Finally, the wrong step she'd been waiting for was taken, and Arashi fell through another endless black night. She didn't land. This fall was meant to continue forever, to trap her. And if she had been some normal novice of a memory surfer, it might have. But she wasn't.

Flaming wings sprung out of her shoulder blades and halted her descent. With a flick of her hand, the darkness dissipated, and Arashi found herself floating in the center of a sphere of panels. Each small screen played a different memory. Not wanting to intrude too much on her little brother's privacy, she quickly sent out her aura in search of a memory of death, the death of a hated enemy. There it was.

With a deep breath and a small prayer, Arashi plunged into the panel her fire had pulled out of the globe. The filmy barrier easily gave way, and there she was, standing in the midst of a small room. Zero was still as could be, staring at the window.

For a fleeting moment before he jumped out and fled, Arashi had her first look at her only other remaining family, Ichiru. He and Zero were almost identical, and he was clearly much taller than Arashi. But his eyes were filled with hatred and leveled at Zero. If he showed his face again, Arashi decided she would be the one to kill him. Then he was gone.

Not being one to waste time, unless it was sleeping in, Arashi turned to the job she'd come here to do. Laying on the floor, soaked in what was left of her drained blood, was Shizuka Hiou, the famous pureblood. The scent was everywhere. Taking a deep whiff of the heavy air, Arashi committed both the smell and the presence surrounding it to an unwavering memory of her own.

The job done, she made ready to exit Zero's mind. But she stopped. The Zero standing in this memory was thinking, and, ignoring her previous scruples about his privacy, she listened in.

It wasn't all that surprising, and it even made sense. And for Zero to have figured it out so quickly was quite a credit to his intelligence. Kuran, the dirty little rat, had killed Shizuka and taken her blood for its pureblood powers.

Well, at least Arashi wouldn't have to travel far for Zero's cure.

When she pulled her mind back into her own body, she opened her eyes to find Zero staring at her strangely. "What?"

"Nothing." Stubborn Zero would never admit it, but having someone else crawling around his memories was downright disturbing, even if, or maybe especially if, that someone was his sister.

It didn't seem like much time had passed, but it had really been hours. Outside, the sky had grown dark and the crowds of fan girls were gathering in anticipation of greeting the Night Class.

Zero groaned as he stood. "Duty calls."

Arashi did likewise, complete with groan. She really didn't want to see Kuran again right now.

Beside which, after tapping into the flames to enter Zero's mind, her aura was burning full blast. Wouldn't want to risk frying the little devils, now would she?

"Have fun." She exited the room the way they'd come and began the twisting journey back to the surface.

After removing any trace of shock from his face, Zero followed. He wasn't sure if she'd been joking or implying that she wasn't coming.

An alternate doorway presented itself at one turn, and Arashi opted to try a new route which led to a trapdoor in the ground which let her out in the Academy's small forest.

This will do, she thought.

Her little brother climbed up and prepared to sprint towards the crowd of fan girls and vampires. "Coming?" Zero still hadn't figured out if his sister had been joking or not.

Walking in the opposite direction and disappearing into the shadows, Arashi replied, "You're on your own."

He knew she was serious, so he left. Maybe it's a family thing, he thought. I ditch school, and she ditches protecting weak, defenseless humans from blood-thirsty vampires.


	6. Vampires Don't Make Friends

Hi again. Sorry this is so short...and so boring...and so completely random...and, yeah, I'll stop there and let the reviews say the rest.

As always, major thanks to all reviewers!

And for all of you out there who read/skim but don't review, please review. It really makes my day.

Disclaimer: Would I be on _fan_fiction if I was the creator?

* * *

Chapter 6:

Yuki had been loud, enthusiastic, and ineffective. Zero had finally shoed up (late) and scared off the squealing girls. The night was clear and tranquil, and Aido was twisting his head this way and that, sniffing at the air like there was no tomorrow.

Kaname, despite his stalker-like staring at Yuki, finally noticed. "Kain, what's wrong with Aido? He didn't even try to flirt with the girls tonight."

After tossing a glance his cousin's way, Kain replied, "Kiryu-san isn't here."

"Yes he is!" Ichijo popped in over Kaname's shoulder from out of nowhere.

Kain just shrugged and gave the vice-president a second to figure it out. The effect was almost instantaneous.

"Oh! He's looking for Arashi-chan! This is just like a manga: a hunter comes to kill a vampire and they end up falling in love!"

"Enough, Ichijo." Kaname's voice held a dangerous edge to it. "You know there is a line that humans and vampires cannot cross."

Not that Arashi-chan is exactly human, Kain thought to himself.

"Kain," Kaname interrupted his subordinate's reverie. "Go find out where Kiryu-san, I mean, Arashi, went. This may be neutral territory, but she's still a hunter. And she's keeping too many secrets to be trusted.

"Why does this always happen to me?" Kain muttered as he meandered through the woods, vaguely aware of the faintest trace of Arashi's scent.

He soon came upon a small clearing and lying right in the middle of it, basking in the moonlight, was Arashi. That strange pressure he'd felt in the air around her at their first meeting was back, though not as strongly as before.

"What do you want, vampire?" Her eyes remained closed, but she was far from asleep.

Kain sighed heavily. She seemed to be in another one of those moods. Or perhaps this was her natural temperament, at least, around vampires.

"Kaname-sama sent me to check up on you."

Arashi's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. "Who died and made him my dad?"

Deciding it would be better to avoid the train of thought that could lead to, Kain started again on a different topic. "Aido was looking for you."

At this, Arashi's eyes shot open and she stood. Maybe that had been the wrong button to push.

"You've already seen that I'm not off on some vampire killing spree, so why are you still here?" The moonlight surrounded her in a ghostly glow and gave the impression of an angry goddess, in a school uniform.

Kain gulped. "Well, class is boring, and I still don't know much about you, Kiryu-san." Formality seemed like a good idea at the time.

Arashi relaxed her tense stance, walked over to a tree, and slumped down against it in the shadows. Why did her training always get the better of her? This was supposed to be a fresh start: a chance to begin again without the prejudices of the past.

Zero was a vampire, and, of course, she loved her brother. Why couldn't she quell her trained hatred of vampires and befriend one?

"What do you want to know?" Kain was shocked to say the least. He'd been expecting a demon's fury to be unleashed, or at least a repeat of the tree stunt she'd pulled on Kaname-sama.

"So, you're an Elemental?" Even though he was expecting a "yes or no" routine, Kain took the chance that Arashi might elaborate.

Practice opening up. Practice not hating vampires. You'll be able to talk more to Zero later, Arashi told herself over and over.

Deep breath. "Yes, I'm a fire Elemental. The other Elementals employed by the Hunters Council raised and taught me. None of them possessed fire, though. It always scared them."

"Did they make you hunt a lot?"

Arashi thought back through her muddled memories. "I think I made my first kill when I was two."

Kain involuntarily shivered. What kind of sick creeps made a little kid go out murdering people? There was more.

"After that, it was an almost constant thing. Hunt, return, and hunt again." Arashi's tone never varied, never slipped, even once. She was the picture of an emotionless soldier trained to kill. She didn't need pity.

While unsure of how the Elemental would react, Kain thought he'd chance a small joke. "Funny, isn't it? Adults spend their time teaching me, a bloodthirsty killer, how to be peaceful, and you, an innocent human, how to kill."

Arashi didn't smile, didn't seem to have heard for a second. Then, she corrected, "You may be bloodthirsty, but you're not a killer. I, on the other hand, am the real monster. I kill to kill."

It was clear why Aido had developed an attachment to the new Kiryu. Kain could see her self-loathing underneath her terrible power. Yet, her will was so strong that even an element could be bent by it.

She could kill him where he stood. Kain knew that. But still, leaning against that tree, sitting on the ground, Arashi looked for all the world like a lost child in his eyes. It made him want to protect her, although she obviously needed no protection.

Even the strongest can't always stand alone.

"Well, Arashi-chan," Kain began. One eyebrow was raised in amusement at the vampire's use of her first name, but she didn't hurt him. Taking that as a good sign, he continued, "I may be a vampire, and you may be something close to a human, but I don't thing we'd be overstepping any boundaries by being friends."

After a moment's worth of thought, Arashi gave a simple, "Sure."

Hey, she wanted a new life, different from the nightmare she'd lived before. It was actually very ironic. After having how evil vampires are drilled into her head her entire life, one of her first real friends at Cross Academy turned out to be one.

How funny. Whether he was trying to or not, Kain was behaving like some sort of big brother towards Arashi, and it had allowed her to see him as one and truly let her guard down.

"Hmmm…interesting," Kain observed.

"What is?" Arashi demanded.

"Well, whatever you just did, I can still feel your aura, but it isn't trying to choke the life out of me anymore."

The Elemental's eyes drifted back to the moon, soaking in its light. If only every night could be this peaceful.

Dragging herself back to reality, Arashi realized, "You should go before Kuran worries."

"Yeah, probably," Kain replied, turning around to head to class as slowly as possible.. "See ya, Shi-chan."

_Shi-chan? Where did that come from?_ Arashi might've been a little peeved if someone else had referred to her as "death," but when Kain said it, it was just a harmless nickname from a friend picking on her.

_Very early that following morning..._

"Kain, why were you so late to class?" Aido interrogated his cousin.

Opening the window to let in some fresh air, Kain answered, "I was hanging out with Shi-chan."

"Shi-chan?"

"Arashi."

Suddenly, there was a rather loud boom felt throughout the entire Moon Dorm. And passersby out for an early morning stroll could see large jagged spikes of ice shooting out of a certain dorm room window.


	7. Troublesome

Hi...tentatively steps out from bunker...ummm...I'm sorry it took so long...dodges pointy objects being thrown in general direction...

Yep, 'tween work and writer's block, (and general laziness), I've taken my good old time getting this out, haven't I? Well, I tried to make it a little longer than usual to make up for it...probably won't get this long again unless I take forever on updating again or I get an insane amount of inspiration. (Which never happens to me --; )

Anywho, hopefully you'll enjoy this, and if you read really slowly, it might last 'til I get back from vacation and more work...

So, please review...pretty please...with assorted goody baskets on top? Yep, that's about it...

Disclaimer: Uh huh. Yes! Success at last!!!...Nope. Never mind. It was one of those stupid pop up banners again, toying with my emotions...In other words, I still don't own Vampire Knight. Just Arashi...

* * *

Chapter 7:

"Well, Kaname, I'm glad to hear that you've taken care of the perpetrator behind the little 'ice' incident this morning," Headmaster Cross cheerfully said from behind his desk. "Should we expect any more winter surprises in the near future?"

"Most certainly not, Headmaster." Kaname wryly smiled.

Meanwhile, Aido was still bound neck to feet in thick rope and hanging upside down from the chandelier in the Night dorm's entrance hall. Kaname-sama sure came up with interesting punishments.

Back in the office, the headmaster may or may not have understood the silent joke, but he smiled back at the pureblood all the same. "Will there be anything else today, Kaname?" Yes, it was morning and all the Day Class students were hard at work in the classrooms, or pretending to be.

"As a matter of fact, Headmaster, there was a matter I was hoping you could help me with…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Moving back to the sorry sight of the aristocrat vampire hanging from the ceiling, well, Aido wasn't happy.

"Honestly, all I did was make the room a little bit colder…a little ice never killed anything…even though it was supposed to kill him….did Kaname-sama have to do this?...and with tomorrow night being the…"

"Do you always mutter to yourself when undergoing punishment?" Kain cut in. "And, by the way, you broke the window and everything else in our room, too."

Turning his head away from his cousin as best he could, which wasn't very well in his restricted position, Aido proceeded to sulk and ignore Kain's attempt at conversation.

Slightly amused at how child-like the new ceiling ornament could be when in trouble, Kain still continued, "Oh, alright then. I'll go. I just thought you might want to know something interesting about Shi-chan."

His interest instantly peeked, Aido yelled out as Kain began ascending the stairs for his new temporary room, "What about Arashi?!"

The vampire with his feet still on the ground couldn't help but smirk and comment. "Do you have any idea of how pathetically desperate you sound right now?"

Not to be deterred, Aido pressed, "What about her?" He was so close to turning his cousin into a vampire Popsicle, but the promise of what Kaname-sama would do to him afterwards was enough to stay his temper.

Sighing in exasperation at Aido's impatience, but silently laughing at how funny he looked demanding things while hanging like a tied up bat, Kain relented. "Well, you remember how we got special permission to leave campus tomorrow night? Let's just say it's going to be interesting."

Aido hung for a moment in thoughtful quiet, but it appeared that the rush of blood to his head had robbed him of his genius as he then shouted, "What in the night does that have to do with Arashi?! Akatsuki, you're so mean! How could you get my hopes up like that?!"

Embarrassed for his cousin and scratching his head lightly, Kain left Aido to his own devices, which weren't many in his position, and headed up to bed. It was getting late in the morning, and he was dead tired.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

School was most definitely designed to turn teenagers' brain into mush so they would be more compliant at home with authority figures they were usually known to rebel against.

Arashi had actually forced herself to get up and make it to class on time, despite her, once again, less than restful night. Her reward: a big, fat puddle of droning boredom. It was next to impossible to pay attention, so she didn't.

Taking a leaf out of Zero and Yuki's book, Arashi opted to drop her head into her arms on the desk and fall into blissful slumber. Of course, she was woken only a moment later by a flying eraser hitting her in the head. The teacher assigned her make-up classes for that evening, but she was still debating at the end of the school day whether or not to go to them.

Luckily for her, or rather unluckily, as she soon came to find out, the decision was taken out of Arashi's hands in the form of a summons to the headmaster's office.

A small walk later, she entered, unsurprised to find Zero waiting in front of the desk seemed to have received a very recent beating from Yuki and her youthful enthusiasm.

"Yay! My other daughter has finally come to visit Papa!!!" the headmaster screamed as he attempted to latch himself onto the female Kiryu. He was squealing again.

He never managed to give Arashi that fatherly hug as a well-placed punch had him kissing the floor instead.

Neither one of the twins seemed to be in any temper for his usual banter, so Headmaster Cross got right to the point for a change. "You two are going to a party tomorrow night!"

His smiles were met by frowns, glares, angry auras, and enough negative energy in general to kill any plants that might have been present.

Zero looked ready to beat him to a pulp. "A party?"

Chuckling a little nervously, the headmaster elaborated, "Yes, well, Kaname asked if I might be able to spare you two for security purposes at a vampire gathering in town tomorrow night."

"No." Arashi, on the other hand, looked like she would bypass the beating and just straight out kill the poor, unfortunate headmaster. "Kuran wouldn't just invite two hunters to a vampire social function out of the blue."

Zero had to agree. Something was off here.

Unnerved by the suspicious glares he was getting, the headmaster finally went into serious mode and relented. "Zero, the Council requested that you attend this gathering to keep an eye on things."

Visibly stiffening at the mere mention of the Council, her former master, Arashi was ready to throw fireballs at the next thing or person that annoyed her. (Too bad annoying people was one of Headmaster Cross's specialties, intentional or not.)

Continuing on, the headmaster went back into happy mode, much to the Kiryus' displeasure. "But Kaname did specially request that Arashi-chan come along as a guest! I just didn't think you'd go if it wasn't for work…"

No duh, she wouldn't go if it wasn't for work! Who did that obnoxious, pig-headed, arrogant snake think he was? He could have at least had the guts to come out and say, "I don't trust you. I can't leave you alone without thinking that you're killing someone, so I'm bringing you along so I can keep an eye on you."

A moment later, Arashi realized that the headmaster was clinging to her leg and begging her to go. "No."

The begging immediately stopped, and Headmaster Cross stood up to his full, unimpressive height with an evil glint in his eyes. "Well, Arashi-chan, I didn't want to have to use this, but you've left me no choice!"

Zero and his perturbed older sister were already half-way to the door.

"I've seen that your grades have been slipping, my dear daughter…"

Arashi froze. She could tell where this was going, and she did not like it one bit.

"Perhaps, if you were not to attend this party, I could arrange for nightly tutoring sessions with someone…"

"Don't you dare." Yep, this headed exactly where she'd thought.

"I'm sure Aido would be more than happy to help you out…" He left the threat hanging in the air.

Arashi's shoulders seemed to sag in defeat before she resumed her composure and joined Zero at the door. However, before the wooden panels had closed all the way, the headmaster caught something about, "Don't be surprised if your headmaster's a pile of ashes in the morning."

Yeah, she would be going.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

This was not happening. First, she was practically forced into agreeing to go to a _vampire_ party, and now _this_. Kuran was so full of himself, Arashi couldn't begin to fathom where his vital organs found room, squished in there with his ego.

In true Kuran fashion, he had not only known that Arashi would be forced to accept his invitation, but he had also sent her a suitable dress for the occasion. Alright, so it was a very nice, simply cut red number, but there was no way she was wearing it.

The headmaster had said that she would only agree to spend a night among vampires for work, and he was right. And, if she was on assignment as a Guardian, it was only proper that she wear her work uniform (aka her school uniform). Take that, Kuran!

She contemplated burning it and laughing at the smoke as the obviously expensive apparel went up in flames, but put it back in its box and addressed it to Yuki instead. They were about the same size, and, no doubt, she'd be a lot happier with it than Arashi would ever be since it was from that detestable, egotistical…

Oh, look at that. It was time to hold back the rabid fan girls again, already. Well, if nothing else, she could always throw Kuran into another tree while she was out there as a thank you for the invite.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After sleeping upside down, hanging from the chandelier all day, Aido was finally released just in time to head outside for class. Everything felt stiff, but he was so happy to be right side up, not even that could put a damper on his cheery disposition.

"IDOL-SEMPAI!!!" Those girls sure could scream loudly, but even that did nothing to bring him down. In fact, he reveled in the attention after being alone and dizzy all day.

He couldn't resist. "Why, hello there, ladies," he said suavely. The girls were overjoyed that he was talking to them again after a few nights of being ignored in favor of Arashi.

Then, the unthinkable happened. Okay, it wasn't really unthinkable, but it did ruin Aido's flirting session. The poor vampire found the girls in front of him instantly go from smiling to scared stiff. Turning around, Aido found the source of their fear in the form of a very angry Arashi.

Hope bloomed within him! "Aww, is my Shi-chan jealous? Don't worry, I'm all yours."

In response, Arashi threw Aido onto the ground and planted her foot firmly on the back of his head. "Since when did I give you permission to call me Shi-chan? You idiot, I'm just dying for an excuse to hurt someone, so come on! Make my night!"

Following this was a string of incoherent words from Aido who was trying to talk into the dirt. Arashi finally took her foot off of his head.

Once he had stood up and brushed himself off a bit, Aido clarified, "I said, 'Arashi-chan! I think you're becoming more human everyday! Look at your temper!'"

While Aido continued standing there with that naive smile, the ticked off elemental stalked away, pausing only to thrust Kain in his cousin's direction with a silent plea that he keep the idiot away from her.

What a night to be out! And speak of the devil, even though no one was, there was high and mighty Kuran himself. And he was coming Arashi's way.

"I trust you're looking forward to tomorrow night, Kiryu-san?" Kuran always did have to start things out with some sort of mindless chit chat.

Glaring with every ounce of evil intent she could muster, Arashi abruptly stopped. There it was. Very faint and very spread out, but the aura was unmistakable. Shizuka's blood was right in front of her, ready for the taking. Would it be worth it to seemingly attack a pureblood in front of a pack of vampires if it meant that Zero could stop worrying about turning Level E tonight?

Kuran noticed her intense gaze and her apparent inner turmoil over some perplexing matter. "Is there any way I can be of assistance? Pardon the intrusion, but you seem to be in some sort of distress."

It looked as though, on top of forcing people into attending vampire parties and sending out dresses, Kuran didn't how to mind his own business when it came to other people's thoughts, either.

Choosing the blunt path, Arashi replied, "Not really, I'm just debating on whether or not to burn open your skin and rip Shizuka Hiou's blood out of you now or later."

"For Zero?"

The elemental swiftly nodded and then went back to weighing the pros and cons in her head.

"Kiryu-san, this may sound odd, but you are aware that any pureblood's blood will save Zero, correct?" Kuran seemed a little amused. That was not good for him.

"Any pureblood's?" Kuran nodded back. Did he mean to tell her that she'd unleashed the flames earlier than she'd needed to when she entered Zero's mind and that she could have just cut him open at any moment and been done with it?!

"Well then, Kuran, I do believe you've just helped me decide what to do. Thank you."

Arashi turned on the still-there crowd of Night Class fans and stretched out her mind. Soon, they were all thinking the exact same thing: time for bed. As soon as they were out of sight, the very unhappy elemental, who was still kicking herself for her own stupidity, picked up a water bottle she'd had one of the fans conveniently drop and emptied it of its contents.

With that done, she wheeled around on Kuran, who was still standing there, still as the night, and lashed out with thin threads of fire. He barely flinched as the burns took effect and the blood started flowing, staining his white uniform.

By this time, Arashi's eyes had taken on their flame-filled appearance and were boring into his own. He did not move as she held the empty bottle up to one of the larger cuts she'd inflicted and waited for it to fill.

The Night Class was in total shock. Not only had she attacked their precious pureblood leader, but she was taking his blood! In a bottle!

When her task was completed, Arashi calmly turned her back on Kuran and headed towards Zero, who was standing protectively in front of a frozen Yuki.

Suddenly, searing pain sliced through her back. Arashi tossed a glance over her shoulder to find Kuran standing there licking his fingertips. The cuts were deep and made by powerful energy. Apparently, he'd gained more from drinking Shizuka's blood than just a late night snack.

"Blood for blood?" Kuran ventured.

"Blood for blood," she agreed.

The Night Class followed after Kuran in a trance-like state as he led them to the classrooms. They were probably all going to be late.

Kaname couldn't quite figure it out yet. She was a hunter, but she'd left the Council and entered neutral territory. Now, it looked like she was only here to help Zero, but it couldn't be that simple, could it? She was a powerful elemental, and her masters had been murdered by someone. Perhaps she thought she could find the killer here, but how could that be? Nothing made sense anymore.

Back in the yard, Arashi had given Zero the bottle, and he was eying it with obvious distaste.

Yuki finally found her voice and whispered, "Will Kaname-sama's blood save Zero?"

Zero glared at the bottle with renewed hatred at the mention of its donor's name, but Arashi nodded in confirmation.

"Well," Yuki tried to grasp the right words to say at a moment like this. After a moment, she found them. "DRINK IT ALREADY ZERO! If it'll make you better, then stop glaring and start DRINKING!"

In front of two sets of raised brows, Yuki seemed to calm down a little bit, and Zero finally took a swig of the red liquid. The rest disappeared almost instantaneously.

With that done, Yuki took notice of something else. "Arashi-chan! You're still bleeding!"

The blood flow had slowed, but persistent little streams still trickled down Arashi's back. "I know," she stated. Normally, the flames would rush to heal her wounds, but, even though it took more effort to prevent herself from healing than to actually heal herself, Arashi wanted to leave the markings.

She had been stupid, reckless, and careless all in one night. Her masters would have severely berated her for such behavior were they still alive. Still, she needed to be more careful. The scars that would form without the flames' help would serve as a reminder to always be on guard, even among _friends_.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"How could that little witch have done that to Kaname-sama?! How did she do it, anyway? She can't be allowed to get away with this!!!" Ruka Souen was very proud of her devotion to the resident pureblood and obviously not afraid to show it.

Truth be told, most of the Night Class was itching to go rip Arashi Kiryu into tiny shreds for attacking their leader, but fear of what else she might be capable of and the hard look of warning hidden behind Kaname's calm, complacent smile held them back.

Not much learning was getting done. Everyone seemed far too distracted, either by this unexpected turn of events or the permeating aroma of two powerful bloods filling the air.

Kain could finally understand the magnitude of what Arashi had been telling him last night. Killing since she was two, calling herself the real monster, having even other elementals scared of her abilities: this was what she'd meant. Scratch that. This was a mere _taste_ of what she'd meant. In fact, Kain had high doubts that Kaname-sama could survive if Arashi ever took it into her head to eliminate him.

Aido saw the flames lashing out again and again in his mind. Arashi had attacked without a second thought. She never faltered. Her expression never once varied. Such power, but with such control! Still, there were things that weren't adding up, and he hoped with all his heart that his favorite vampire hunter had spent all her energy on Kaname-sama earlier, or else he'd be dead before night's end.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Arashi-chan! Arashi! Are you here?" As the students had been sent to bed and sleep by mind control, Aido wasn't too worried about waking anyone up with his yelling. And he was hoping that knocking this time would soften the fiery girl's usual temper towards him.

When Aido's incessant banging on the door before him finally ceased, it opened a crack in the silent lull.

"What do you want?" Her voice softly drifted out into the hallway, but, surprisingly, she sounded more tired than annoyed.

There was still a chance for Aido to live!

Slowly padding into Arashi's room and shutting the door quietly behind him, Aido could barely recognize the girl sitting on the bed. Almost entirely wrapped in shadows, she looked, if anything, more vulnerable than the night he had first come to see her, when he had held her.

But this was no time to get sentimental. Why in the night was he even remembering the stupid feeling of holding her, close against him, like he would never let go….enough! He had more important matters to deal with! Interrogation time!

"So, the blood was to keep Zero from going Level E?" he inquired, wisely keeping his distance.

Arashi looked up at him, and he felt a pang not unlike the sensation of her aura piercing his soul. But that couldn't be happening. He had long since stopped being affected by that.

"Sometimes, you're too smart for your own good, Aido." Her words drew him out of his reverie, but this wasn't right.

This shouldn't be so easy. Arashi never just freely gave away answers. She always glared and took her time deciding what to say and not say. Did Kain do this? If so, Aido was torn between thanking him for the new and improved, softer version of Arashi and killing him for getting her to be more friendly since Aido seemed to have failed on his own.

Oh, speaking of Kain, "What were you doing with Kain last night?"

Letting out a long sigh, she replied nonchalantly, "Well, _I _would have been happy with just sleeping together…"

Even though Aido knew she was talking about slumber, he was severely irked. She was doing this on purpose, wasn't she? _Stupid Arashi, keeping a perfectly straight face saying something with such implications to him._

As much fun as it was watching Aido squirm, Arashi didn't let him suffer too long. "I've decided that, as a resident of neutral territory, I should be able to become friends with vampires. Kain happened to make the offer."

Ready to drop into another sulking fit, Aido had to clarify, "But you're just friends, right?"

Toying with the idea of giving another suggestive response, she finally settled on the semi-clear, "He's a vampire and I'm a human, sort of. Nothing more would be allowed, now would it?"

Now Aido wanted to freeze the room again in frustration. She simply refused to cooperate. But, even if she wasn't currently in active hunting status, he knew it was her training, not some universal rule, that would prevent her from having a deeper relationship with any vampire.

However, as long as she was going to accept vampires' friendship, he might as well take advantage of the opportunity. "So, are we friends, too? Ne, Arashi-chan?"

If her back wasn't still flaming, she might have tried to strangle him again for that annoying honorific. Since that was currently out of the question, she went with the safe answer she'd given Kain. "Sure."

Aido looked like he could've squealed with joy, but he soon reigned his elation in and became serious again. "Well, you look tired, so I'll only ask you one more question tonight."

Was she supposed to offer some expression of gratitude? _Stupid, arrogant vampires…thinking they can just randomly wake people up in the middle of the night for a conversation…not that I was actually sleeping, yet, but still._

"Why did you attack Kaname-sama in front of the Night Class? You know they want you dead now."

Well, at least this question didn't require a long-winded answer. "He ticked me off. Night."

While he didn't expect an elaborate, detailed explanation, Aido wasn't entirely prepared for such a terse reply. But she did look tired, and if Kaname-sama had gotten whipped with fire for making her mad, he didn't want to know what she'd do to him if he further encroached on her patience.

On the bright side, or the dark side since he didn't really like the sun, Aido would get to see her at the party tomorrow night! (Yes, he finally figured out what Kain had been dropping hints about….after Kaname-sama told everyone that he expected both Kiryus to be in attendance.)


	8. I Knew Dances Were Evil

Yes, I know I've made you all wait a super long time for this pathetic piece of printed pretension. (Yay alliteration!) But this time, it's actually not my fault: The characters absolutely refused to cooperate with me, so blame Aido, Kain, Ichijo, Kaname, Yuki, and Zero. (Hah! Now I'm safe, 'cause you'd never hurt them!) And, then, once they finally decided to work with me again, they wouldn't shut up, so I couldn't find a decent spot to end this chapter. Oh well, better luck next time, and please continue to bear with me...college application essays may soon take precedence...Apologies in advance! -;;;

Major thanks as always to reviewers! (Would still like to see more, hint hint, but even if I just see that more people have been reading it, I get a warm fuzzy feeling...that could just be overheating from playing tennis in the sun today...Still, even if you hate it, tell me why! Please! I'm begging! Again! I feel even more pathetic than usual now!)

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this? ... Ok, I'm poor, aka, I don't own it. Look back at the first chapter for the info junk, leave me alone. I'm depressed enough as it is. I don't need you people reminding me what a horrible artist and writer I am again...T T;;;;;;;

* * *

Chapter 8:

This was humiliating. The great fire elemental, Arashi Kiryu, was not only being forced to attend a vampire party for purposes other than killing: she was wearing the stupid dress Kuran had sent.

How did this happen? What happened to giving it to Yuki or throwing it in an incinerator or something?

Well, Kuran and the headmaster had played the game skillfully…

After a long day of classes, with a party later, Arashi had thought a shower would be a good idea. So, she grabbed a towel and a fresh uniform and went down the hall to the dorm showers. (Kindly keep in mind that it was the _girls'_ dorm.)

While she was in the shower, some person or persons unknown swiped all her clothes. Arashi was not happy to find her clothes stolen, but, instead of pursuing eternal revenge as she would have liked to, she calmly returned to her room in her towel.

That was where the "skillfully" part came into play. With the exception of her underclothes, socks, and shoes, all of Arashi's clothes were gone. Closet and drawer alike stood bare. But, there, lying on the bed, was the accursed dress.

Kuran never would have stooped to committing such a lowly crime himself, so he'd probably sent Ichijo or Kain…or Aido. The very thought of Aido pawing around her room, tossing her things into packing boxes made Arashi's blood boil.

So, that was how it went. She could have gone to the other rooms on her floor and tried to borrow a spare uniform, but Arashi wouldn't put it past those freaks to steal every outfit in the building as soon as she so much as stepped foot out her door.

And that was how she ended up standing at the front gate, waiting for Zero, decked out in a long, red evening gown, and plotting how to best torture Kuran before ending his evil existence.

Finding his sister in her brooding state, Zero refrained from commenting on her apparel upon his arrival, for his own safety, of course.

Instead, he greeted her with transportation news. "The headmaster told me Kuran's sending a car for us."

"Enjoy. I'll walk." With that, Arashi stalked out the gate and right into the forest. There was no way she was taking anything from Kuran after having this dress forced upon her, and besides, she preferred the direct route.

As soon as she was safely out of earshot, Zero couldn't help but mutter, "For once, Kuran did something right." After all, that dress did look good on her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Aido had been fidgeting incessantly ever since the first guests waltzed in. It only got worse when Zero arrived, without Arashi. Where in the night was she? Kaname-sama didn't look too concerned about it, but that did nothing to ease Aido's nerves.

Luckily for him, though, he was able to have his questions asked without looking too interested himself. Inquisitive Ichijo just had to bounce up to greet the newly turned vampire, who still really hated vampires.

"Kiryu-san! We're so happy you accepted the invitation!" he exclaimed. "But where's Arashi-chan? Didn't she come, too?" By that line, he was just whining, but Zero was still stuck on the first half of the salutations.

"Invitation? To a vampire party?" Zero couldn't hold back an aloof smirk. "I'm only here on Council orders."

Kuran chose that moment to pipe in his two cents. "Council? Oh, no, there was no order for you to attend tonight. I would imagine the headmaster made it up as a means of convincing you to come."

Zero's face could not have said, "I'm going to kill him," any better if he had said the words out loud.

Kuran continued, "Obviously, this is officially just an upper class gathering, but I was hoping we could also use it as an unofficial welcome party for you, Zero, since you'll be joining us in the Night Class."

And now Zero's death glare was directed at the pureblood.

"But where's Arashi-chan?" Now, Ichijo had entered the high-pitched whining territory.

"Yeah, what happened to Shi-chan?" Aido shot his cousin a somewhat dirty look for popping in out of nowhere, and for popping in to talk about Arashi.

Kain was still a little too friendly with the female Kiryu for Aido's taste. _I know Arashi said there's nothing going on, and he is my cousin, but he's a guy! And she's, well….yeah! That's right!...So much for my genius IQ. That made absolutely no sense at all._

Zero had been staring up at the wraparound balcony surrounding the underground ballroom while the subject of his sister's whereabouts was once again broached, but he finally turned his attention back to the group at hand. "She wanted to walk."

If they weren't aristocrat vampires at an important social gathering with many of their peers watching, they might have fallen over in response to such an answer. Oh, yes, leave it to a Kiryu to give an eloquent, detailed, descriptive response to a question. What did they expect?

Meanwhile, as Aido was still stuck in nervous mode and Zero was already back to standing like a statue on the sidelines, someone else was discreetly looking on the party below from the balcony. Zero had almost caught a glimpse of the spy before, during his opening conversation, but the person seemed to remain undetected by everyone else. It just so happened that Yuki had been in town shopping with one of her classmates that day and had seen Zero step into a seemingly old, abandoned building. Curiosity getting the best of her, she just had to find a side entrance, follow the sounds from below, and stumble upon a secret vampire gathering.

Sighing in relief that she had ducked just before Zero caught her, Yuki was anything but prepared for the unexpected hand that came from behind to cover her mouth and stifle her anticipated scream.

"Keep quiet, Yuki-chan," a familiar voice whispered in her ear. "I'd rather not let them know I'm here, yet."

Once the hand was removed and she could breathe again, Yuki couldn't help but utter the clichéd but true line. "You scared the living daylights out of me, Arashi-chan."

"Not surprising as its nighttime." Was that supposed to be an attempt at humor? "You know you probably shouldn't be here."

"Well, uh, yes, I know, but, um, why aren't you down there with Zero?" Yuki inquired innocently.

One word summed up the whole situation: "Kuran."

"You don't like Kaname-sama?"

A number of possible responses flashed through her mind, but Arashi settled on the nicest thing she could manage. "He'll be the death of me."

Yuki was still confused, but she wisely decided not to press for further answers. Arashi was too much like Zero: she gave the answers she wanted to and wouldn't crack and spill more. It made it rather difficult for someone to find out what was going on.

They both sat there for a few minutes, silently spying on the vampires below. A small assembly of string players was setting up its instruments and stands in a corner of the ballroom while the party-goers continued to mingle and chat in small groups like a bunch of high school kids. Alright, so most of them were technically high school kids, but that's no excuse for behaving as such as their teachers and parents constantly reminded them.

Suddenly, Arashi broke their quiet watch. "Hi, Zero."

"Huh?" Yuki glanced over at her partner in "stalking" and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Without removing her gaze from the floor below, Arashi pointed to Yuki's other side. The clueless girl slowly turned her head and found herself nose to nose with a very angry looking Zero.

"Yuki," he growled. "What are you doing here?"

While the scared stiff girl was vacillating between the thoughts of cowering in fear and begging for forgiveness, Arashi said, "She was just leaving." With the mere placement of her hand on Yuki's head, she was gone, and only a small circle of fire marked the spot where she'd sat a moment ago.

The room below went silent. All heads had simultaneously turned to where Arashi still sat concealed.

Kuran exited a door onto the balcony a second later. Exchanging a look with his sister, Zero understood that she'd felt the pureblood coming and exposed her powers by sending Yuki away on purpose. The last thing they needed was for a group of vampires to find out fresh meat had walked straight into their lair.

Putting on his trademark half smile, Kuran attempted to be tactful. "Did I miss anything?"

"Just my grand entrance," Arashi stated.

Kuran eyed her skeptically. Figuring out why she did what she did was harder than a game of three dimensional chess. Her dress was still immaculately clean and shimmering as she stood and stamped out the last of the dancing flames. Okay, so she probably did teleport here.

But, on the other hand, Arashi was always so cautious about revealing herself, especially among vampires, lest she find herself needing to kill again. So, why purposely blaze into the middle of a whole group of vampires? Did she want someone to attack and give her an excuse to kill? Was she just trying to divert attention from the newly found out truth about Zero being a vampire? This was too confusing!

"Kuran, you coming?" Oh. Apparently, while he'd been standing there trying to puzzle out Arashi's motives, she and Zero had left him behind and headed for the stairwell.

Refusing to allow the little fire witch the satisfaction of knowing she was making him jumpier than a pretzel in a room full of hungry toddlers, Kuran reassumed his smirk, strolled to join the twins, and looped his arm through Arashi's. "But of course, Kiryu-san. I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't at least escort you to our kind host for a proper introduction."

Even though she was itching to wipe that smirk off his face and throw Kuran over the balcony, hopefully to hear the crunch of broken bones as he hit below, she kept her composure and restrained herself from fidgeting too obviously.

Zero followed the two silent enemies at a more leisurely pace. He couldn't deny how much he was enjoying seeing Kuran's nerves tested down to the last fraying string. It was a good thing Arashi had sent Yuki away before the idiot pureblood saw her, or he might have made some trouble for them. And, from the looks of it, Arashi's control over her abilities was not being strained in the least. There was no abnormal pressure in the air to tell of a struggling aura, with the exception of the lingering effects from the transportation fire. The only explanations that came to mind were that she had either gained a greater degree of control in the presence of vampires, or she just didn't consider these buffoons threatening enough to warrant her powers.

This was sure to be a very long night…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Mr. Host, may I present that special guest I told you about?" Kaname was turning on all the charms with this exasperating display of social grace. "This is the lovely Arashi Kiryu."

"Thank you for honoring us with such beauty tonight, Arashi-chan. Have we met before?" Aido was looking up at her through his eyelashes as he tenderly kissed her hand, and Arashi couldn't decide which one of the two vampires next to her was doing a better job of making her sick.

While Aido went through more lines of how happy he was that she could join their little party and pointed out various important people here and there, Arashi just kept praying for the pretentious act of cordiality to end. That didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

Playing along with a sickly sweet smile, Arashi finally cut in, "I cannot thank you enough, Aido-san, for inviting me here, but, if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a bit famished and would like to part now that I might attain some libations."

Aido and Kaname blinked a few times in disbelief. Kaname was just waiting to see her crack and find out what her angle was in pulling that fire stunt from before. As it was, just about everyone in the room was still hazarding glances at her out of the corners of their eyes every few seconds. Aido just wanted to see how much he could annoy her after the unclear answers she'd given him the night before regarding her relationship with Kain. Neither one of them could believe that she hadn't blown up half the room yet.

Zero watched his sister stalk off to the drink table from his vantage point along the wall near the main entrance. As happy as he was that Kuran and the others had found a new target for their idle small talk, he couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for said target. Besides which, this strategy worked out much better for both of them. He would stay off to the side and keep an eye on all the vampires who were still keeping an eye on the source of that mysterious power surge they'd felt a while ago, and Arashi would keep them too preoccupied to bother him.

Yeah, Zero definitely got the better end of that deal.

If he wasn't her brother, Arashi would be ripping Zero limb from limb right now. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know what was going through his head at that moment, and all it cost was her suffering and pain. He so owed her for this one.

The drinks looked relatively normal, although there was a plate full of blood tablets next to them. Still, you never knew exactly what the vampires had slipped into the punch bowl.

"Try this," Kain said, holding a glass of clear liquid out as he mysteriously appeared at her side. She took the proffered glass but stared at it skeptically. "It's just water, Shi-chan. Geesh, take it easy."

Annoyed that her new friend, more like a protective big brother really, had picked up so easily on suspicions, she shot a quick glare at him before taking a cautious sip. Yep, just water. Not that the flames couldn't take care of most poisons, but most of the guests were still staring at her like she had a huge "please, eat me" sign flashing over her head after one simple transportation.

"Any idea why the idiot made me come here tonight?" she sighed.

"Which idiot?"

Yeah, there were a lot of them in attendance. "The one with the warped sense of an invite," she clarified.

Kain thought about it for a moment. Kaname-sama hadn't really explained why he and Ichijo had to steal all her clothes or anything. "Probably doesn't trust you enough to leave you alone."

Great, so as long as she kept her true intentions to herself and refused to submit to the all-powerful wizard of Oz at Cross Academy, Arashi was going to be watched like a hawk. This didn't quite fit in with her plans, but it didn't really hinder them either. She could live with this, for now.

"Well, thanks for the water, Nii-san," she said.

Kain tilted his head and grinned. "Big brother? Yeah, that sounds about right."

Arashi couldn't suppress a wicked smile. "Don't worry. I won't call you that in front of Aido. It would end the fun too soon."

Even though he returned the look and couldn't deny that he would enjoy watching his cousin squirm, Kain still had a feeling his new "little sister" didn't hate Aido as much as she tried to.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Grr! I can't tell what they're saying from here! Ichijo, can you hear anything?" Aido whispered in frustration.

"Not a word! Why won't they talk more loudly?" Ichijo whined.

So far, the eavesdropping attempts of this troublesome duo had come to naught. Despite all their hard work at remaining hidden and getting in close to their prey, they still couldn't tell what Kain and Arashi were talking about. Aido still wasn't wholly convinced that they were "just friends," and Ichijo got bored and wanted something fun to do.

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over the two. "What do you think you're doing?" Kaname questioned with a smile and a knowing glint in his eye.

"Kaname-sama!" the culprits shouted in unison as they jumped to their feet and rendered their hiding place useless. "We were just…" "You see…" The jumble of attempted explanations was going nowhere. It was actually somewhat amusing to watch them scramble for an excuse.

"What were you guys doing?" a feminine voice behind the stumbling idiots cut through the confusing mess.

Dreading the sight they knew awaited their terrified gazes, Aido and Ichijo slowly turned around to see Arashi standing there nonchalantly with Kain's arm lazily draped over her shoulder. The eavesdroppers were in such shock, they could only manage to point and gawk. Well, Aido might have done a bit of fuming, too, but that was about it.

Kain knew Aido was about to really blow a gasket when he felt the temperature around the group start dropping, so he removed his arm from the girl, who was innocently sipping her water and completely ignoring the sputtering fools in front of her, and offered to go check on Zero-san.

Aido recomposed himself, took a deep breath, and inquired with his charming host smile, "Arashi-chan, might I have a word with you in private?"

She shrugged, handed her glass over to an equally shocked, but somehow less silly looking, Kuran, and allowed Aido to lead her to a more secluded area of wall space. The way his eyes kept shifting back and forth as he pondered how to best word his question was utterly laughable, but Arashi contained the impulse.

At long last, Aido finally said, "Arashi-chan, if you don't mind my asking…what in the night is going on with you and Kain?!"

"Nothing." She said it so directly, so firmly. It was almost as if she was daring him to contradict her. Then, she smiled. "Why? Jealous?"

This sent Aido into a brand new fit of sputtered half-excuses and protests. It was really too much, so Arashi allowed herself a small giggle at the display. Parties without missions, teasing, friends: these were all new experiences for her, but she was enjoying it. Well, minus the moments when the teasing was turned on her.

Her smile abruptly disappeared. There was a second where most of the room quickly glanced at the entrance doors, but they disregarded it and went back to their conversations. Arashi kept her gaze on the doorway, or more specifically, on the man standing in it. It was written all over his mind: _The Hunter Council and president will find this very interesting…There's Zero…Where is Fire's Storm?..._

No! Arashi wrenched her gaze away from the hunter and blocked out every thought in the room. She didn't care if she was making her aura as bright as day to every vampire in the room. She did not want to hear that name. She didn't want the thoughts, the memories that could come with it.

"Arashi? Are you alright?" Aido couldn't help being worried. One moment she'd been mercilessly teasing him, the next, her aura had been back up in full force. Thank goodness he could feel it without being pierced by it. However, since most of the guests weren't from Cross Academy and had yet to earn any level of trust from Arashi, they weren't so lucky.

The hunter's entrance had only caused a momentary stir, but, although they kept talking, almost every vampire was now unabashedly staring at the source of the new power, anticipating the most delicious blood they'd ever tasted.

"Arashi, look at me," Aido ordered as he grabbed her by the shoulders. "You have to calm down." Her eyes finally shifted to focus on his face, and the aura was immediately sucked back in, but the damage had been done. Aido sighed in relief but couldn't resist. "Heh, now which one of us is the idiot?"

"Shut up," Arashi retorted. She really was going soft. Something as insignificant as a reminder of her old life, her old name, should never have caught her off-guard like that.

Appearing by her shoulder, Kaname said, "You gave us quite a scare, Kiryu-san. You seem better now, but I want you to stay near Aido. I don't think anyone will try anything with you being my guest, but we can't be too careful." Here, he allowed a mischievous smile to slip through. "After all, your blood does have quite an appetizing appeal." Then, he walked off in the general direction of the musicians.

_Well, this'll teach me to lose control,_ Arashi thought bitterly. _Now I'm stuck with Aido for who knows how long._

Aido still looked a little concerned, suspiciously glancing at his other guests from time to time, but he couldn't help being overjoyed at Arashi's confinement to his presence for the rest of the night. He could hear the hallelujah choruses ringing! Or maybe that was just the small orchestra which had started the intro for the first dance. That gave Aido an idea.

Grabbing his charge's hand and dragging her into the rapidly increasing crowd of gracefully swaying couples, Aido decided, "Come on, Arashi. Let's dance."

A look of pure terror crossed her face as Aido found a clear spot, turned, and pulled her in with a hand at her waist. "Aido, you idiot," she hissed into his ear. "I'm a murderer, not a debutant! I don't know how to dance!"

Aido just smirked. "Then you better hang on tight," he whispered back, brushing his lips against her ear as he pulled away. He was immediately rewarded with a very sore foot, courtesy of Arashi's well aimed stomp.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"You seem good, Zero. Better than the last time I saw you at any rate." It hadn't taken Toga Yagari long to find his former student. He wasn't a world famous vampire hunter for nothing. That, and Zero had been standing right next to the door when he'd walked in.

Ever reticent Zero simply acknowledged the newcomer's presence. "Sensei." Yep, the boy was as talkative as ever.

Some unusual power surge had taken all the attention off of him, so Yagari met no curious stares as he took a spot along the wall next to Mr. Talkative. Even as his hunter instincts were on high alert, being surrounded by vampires, he couldn't help but appreciate the irony of this whole mess. The strongest hunter to ever work for the hunters had abruptly left without a sound after the other elementals were murdered, so the Council and president had sent him, Yagari, to see what in the night she was up to. Well, he found the infamous killer all right.

There she was, dancing in the arms of a vampire. The little traitor was clinging to him like her life depended on it with her head resting on his chest and her hands entwined about his neck. They were turning slowly despite the faster beat of the song. The vampire she was dancing with made the picture even more sickening. Neutral territory or not, there was absolutely no good reason for a vampire to hold a human girl that close or twiddle his fingers in her hair. Putting his disgust and shock to the side for a moment, the first thought to enter Yagari's mind was: _This is the great, feared fire elemental?_ Someone had to be playing a major practical joke on him. Look at them! The vampire was even chuckling at her!

Trying to play it cool and collect some information, Yagari turned to Zero and asked, "So, what do you think of your big sister?"

"She's strong, Sensei, but you already knew that." Figures. The kid wasn't going to give him anything, was he?

Time for the low blow! "What's it feel like, watching the last of your family getting so cozy with vampires?" Yagari smiled to himself at the emotional joint he'd just struck.

Zero thought for a moment. "She had her life taken away, then she gave me back mine. If this makes her happy, I'm glad."

Once again, the kid refused to give a straight answer! _Who taught this boy to give cryptic responses? Oh, right, I did._ Yagari was getting nowhere, so he let the silence resume and tried to look anywhere but at the disgusting display of the hunter in the arms of her prey.

_I wonder if Sensei realizes that Arashi only looks like that because she can't dance. _Zero glanced at his former teacher out of the corner of his eye, saw the vein throbbing in his temple, and got his answer. _Nope, he doesn't have a clue._

On the other side of the floor, Arashi was still pleading with Aido to end her embarrassment. He spun them across them across the room all the faster and she could only helplessly hang on for dear life. So caught up in this wonderful dream was Aido that he neither saw nor heard anything else around him. He felt as though he was floating through the clouds, and no, he did not have a spiked drink.

Suddenly, Arashi was gone, and Aido's cloud-filled dream abruptly became a disastrous nightmare. He couldn't believe he'd lost her! What would another vampire try to do to her if he caught her? What would she do to him? The panic rose in his throat until he could hold it in no longer. He had to find her! Kaname-sama was going to kill him for this!

"ARASHI!" he yelled as loudly as he could.

"Yes?"

Aido slowly turned his head around. There she was, still slightly out of breath from her dancing adventure, standing right behind him. He wasn't sure whether to slap her silly for scaring him so much or do just what he did: he wrapped his arms around her in the tightest bear hug ever and lifted her off her feet and held her there until she could barely breathe.

Kaname-sama chose this moment to check in on the possibly life-threatening murderess and everyone's favorite troublemaker. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said with silent laughter dripping from every word.

Arashi didn't find his joking manner so funny. "Why don't you go crash into a wall or something?"

"Make me."

"Don't tempt me."

"Well," Kaname offered. "Since that plan's not to your liking, I believe Yagari-san would like to speak with you."

_Yagari._ Even as secluded as she was from the rest of the Hunter's Association, a hunter of his reputation could hardly be missed. In fact, his fame led her to believe that the idiotic hunter president had sent him to spy on her. Well, it seemed Aido had finally done something right because Yagari would certainly be taking back some interesting stories.

"Might as well," Arashi agreed rather resignedly. It couldn't really be avoided. She could talk to him here, or he could track her down later for a personal interview involving knives, guns, and blood. Yep, now would work just fine.

Following Kuran across the rest of the room to the entrance door where Zero and Yagari were still reclining against the wall, Arashi steeled herself for the confrontation. The hunter would be sure to bring up some nice little tidbits of her past, and the last thing she needed was another moment of lost control and another dance with Aido. Her stomach was still recovering from the first.

Yagari bowed low when Arashi finally stood before him. "So, this is the infamous Fire's Storm? A pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said.

"Shame the feeling's not mutual. Did you need something?" She was in no mood to put up with cordial pleasantries, especially after Kuran and Aido's little bout of it earlier.

It seemed the hunter was willing to comply. "The president wants to know when you'll be returning, what you're doing, and why you left."

Arashi wasn't feeling especially talkative. "Never, living, and because, in that order." Yagari wasn't exactly stunned at the lack of responsiveness, but he didn't look happy with it, making this the perfect time to leave. "Well, Aido, Kuran, it's been a lovely party, but I'm afraid that some of us need to be up for classes in the morning and must take our leave. I bid you good night."

Oh, sure, she'd use long complex sentences with the _vampires._

Zero followed his sister's quick retreat out the door, and within six steps away from their hosts, Arashi blazed them back to the academy. With that kind of instantaneous transportation, she might actually get in a good half hour of sleep before someone, vampire or human she did not yet know, came to disturb her slumber.


	9. Feelings are Stupid

Hola! Yes, it's been forever since I updated...yes, this is pathetically short...yes, I stink at writing anything remotely romantic...yes, I still have a few more college applications to go...but you guys don't really care, so I'll stop babbling on all that.

Even though I know you all hate when I do this, I must say that, though I'm touched by the number of hits I've been receiving, I'd really like more reviews. I don't know if people just click on the page, see the first word and click "X" or what. Pwease...with whipped cream and cherries, even though I don't really like cherries...Or, review or I'll have to send you all bills for my therapy sessions later on in life...imagine all the hours of talking about my low self-esteem thanks to those evil fanfic readers who didn't review...-;;;

Disclaimer: Ha! I have $10 in my wallet! ... Whadda ya mean that's not enough? ... Well, maybe I went and spent all my money on more drawing tools ... I am so Matsuri Hino! ... Yeah, I know I'm not, but did you have to kill my dream so harshly? ... Oh yeah, I'm sure it was loads of fun for you ... Fine! I'll admit it! I don't own "Vampire Knight!" ... You happy now? ... Fine, here's your $10 back ...

* * *

Chapter 9:

A miracle was occurring. Nothing short of divine intervention could have caused this unspeakably joyful turn of events. Arashi had been sleeping for one and a half whole hours since arriving back at the academy after that disastrous party without any interruptions. Someone must have placed a guardian angel at her door to protect her from the evil devices of the sleep Nazis. Lying underneath a thick blanket in comfortable flannel pants and old T-shirt (as her clothes had all been returned by the time she got back), the elemental was in a state of total bliss.

Knock! Knock! Until now.

Refusing to open her eyes or leave the safety of her bed, Arashi called to the closed door, "I'm officially dead. Send up the coroner in the morning after I've had a full night of sleep."

Outside in the hallway, someone debated whether the room's occupant was tired enough to not use her fire powers or tired enough to kill on sight anyone who dared disturb her slumber. Apparently, the someone decided on the first option as the door slowly swung inwards. Arashi heard the slight creak of the hinges and thought now would be a perfect time to try the oldest trick in the book. She would make her earlier statement seem real by playing dead.

"Arashi?" Oh, no. Not that voice! Any voice but his! Why did this keep happening to her?

_Just keep pretending to be asleep and maybe he'll go away._ There was no way she was going to sit up and participate in an intelligent conversation at this time of night. It was nearly three in the morning! Or was it closer to two? She didn't know, and frankly, she didn't care. She was not going to speak to this guy right now.

"Well, if you're too sleepy, I guess I'll have to wait for you to wake up." The mysterious intruder lay down on top of the blankets hiding most of Arashi from the chilly dorm air and started snuggling up against her back. He even went so far as to toss an arm across her waist.

Alright, so there was one way that Arashi would get up at that time of night, and this idiot had just done it.

BOOM!

Screams were heard all throughout the girls' dorm as the very foundations seemed to have been shaken. It wasn't that bad, really. Arashi just happened to toss the perverted waste of perfectly good space into a wall; then a floor, then the ceiling, then the floor again. Rinse and repeat!

"Shi-chan! What're you trying to do? Kill me?!" Aido yelled as loudly as he could despite the fact that the wind was being knocked out of him every three seconds as he was thrown into another piece of the room's architecture.

When Arashi's barrage of telekinetic throws finally ceased, she was out of bed, looking down on a very bruised vampire noble. Did she feel any remorse for what might have been a slight overreaction? Not a bit. That presumptuous boy had no business being in her room, much less her _bed_. She didn't care if he wasn't planning on doing anything. He still shouldn't have been there. And she was supposed to be the uncivilized killer!

While the slightly angry (even though that was the understatement of the century) Kiryu stood there fuming, Aido slowly stood and straightened out his clothes and hair which were in a state of severe disarray. He'd tried to skip out on the rest of that annoying party earlier, but being the host, he couldn't leave until the last guest was gone, as Kaname-sama kindly reminded/ordered him. Even when all was said, done, and kicked out the door, he still had the car ride back to the academy to endure. Why couldn't he have special teleportation abilities like Arashi? And why didn't she use all these powers of hers more often? Those thoughts would have to wait for another time.

Tonight was no time to play games given the seriousness of the matter Aido needed to discuss with his hunter friend. That, and she looked like she really would kill him if he tried to pull another stunt like that crawling in bed one. (No, it wasn't a smart move on his part, but he couldn't resist.)

Tapping into his "cool self" Aido assumed that serious persona he rarely brought out and broached the topic that had been eating at him all night. "What in the night is going on with you and Kain?" His voice had dropped a little deeper than usual, and there was no laughter or joke behind it, no mischievous glint in his eyes.

If Arashi hadn't been seriously ticked off already, she might have burst out laughing. How many times had she told him this? It was old news, done, in the past, a dead issue. Had he never heard the phrase about "kicking a dead horse?" Well, he was doing just that.

"Nothing."

Aido was accustomed to her terse replies by now, but this time, he didn't believe her one word. "Well, that 'nothing' of yours sure fooled me."

_Is he talking about how we were teasing him earlier?_ Arashi was thoroughly confused. Friends were a new thing for her. How in the world was she supposed to understand romantic feelings? "If you're referring to that idiotic party of yours, we were just seeing how much smoke could come out of your ears."

Still doubting every word, Aido rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"It's not our fault you get worked up so easily," Arashi stated. Her completely straight face belied no hint of guilt or deceit.

This was getting him nowhere. Maybe the girl didn't think she was lying. Maybe she had convinced herself that she and Kain really were just friends, but Aido knew better.

Arashi's mood was heading into dangerously sour territory. She could see the wheels turning in Aido's head behind his grim stare as if he were headed to war. _That idiot still doesn't believe me._

"Arashi," Aido whispered before continuing in a much stronger tone. "I want a clear, honest answer from you. What do you feel for me?"

Ready to throw the stupid boy against a few more walls again, Arashi took a deep breath instead. This was the most amazingly awkward conversation she'd ever had. She absolutely hated those disgusting talks about _feelings_. For goodness' sake, who talked to a killing monster about feelings? How would that go? So, how'd you feel as you watched that vampire scum's eyes fill with fear as he realized that the inevitable end had come and you were it? Oh yeah, that was a really popular topic. Still, since the stalker didn't look like he was going to leave quietly without an answer and she wanted another hour or two of sleep before class, she might as well. Why did her whole life seem to revolve around sleeping?

"You're my friend, Aido."

That wasn't the answer he wanted. At least by this time he was smart enough to not pull one of those romance novel moves involving pinning her against a wall or something. Yeah, that would have ended with a funeral- his. But he wasn't going to leave it at that.

"What if I want more?" Aido questioned, his searing gaze burning into her eyes.

"No."

She didn't hesitate for even a split second before answering that. And some guys don't know when to cut their losses and quit. Aido was one such guy. Unfortunately for him, his common sense abandoned him at this point and his hand reached up to cup one side of Arashi's face as he pressed, "Why not?"

Fortunately for him, the hunter didn't kill him as she replied, "Because I refuse to form any attachments stronger than friendship."

Aido let his forehead drop onto her shoulder and began chuckling. When he brought his face back up, he seemed to be his old, happy self. "Sorry, Shi-chan, but I don't think I can accept that."

Pulling down the hand that had started caressing her face, Arashi stated in a tone that left no room for argument, "It's not your choice to make."

A stiff silence ensued, permeating the air. Nothing was said for the space of a few minutes. Aido withdrew from the tense girl's person altogether and turned to face the wall for a moment, but when he turned back, his face had reassumed its former grim countenance.

This was it. "If that is your decision, Kiryu-san, then I do not believe I can continue this friendship. It's not enough for me." He looked to the floor and sighed but quickly turned his piercing stare back on Arashi in one last attempt to extract some sort of concession. "If you are sure, then this is good-bye."

"Fine." Once again, her absolute resolution and refusal to falter for even a second shone with the determination brought on by years of training to hide behind her perfectly emotionless mask.

Aido left and closed the door soundlessly.

_What am I supposed to do about this?_ Arashi thought as she lay back down on the soft mattress of her bed. She hadn't dreamed that the little act she and Kain put on would be taken so seriously, but perhaps this was for the best. Yes, she had lost one of her few friends; but if Aido really felt that way and was hoping for the same from her, it was better to cut all ties sooner rather than later. He was a vampire. She was an elemental. He drank blood, but she killed mercilessly and unthinkingly on orders she never sought to understand. She was still a monster, and a monster had no right to look for love.


	10. Evil Old Guy

Sorry it took me so long...again -;; Thanks to all who read, reviewed, and/or added to their favorite/alert lists!!!

Disclaimer: "Vampire Knight" is Hino-sensei's. Arashi's mine. Please direct all other inquiries to my imaginary lawyer.

* * *

Chapter 10:

It had been another routine evening. The screaming fans came out. The three guardians pushed, shoved, and yelled to hold them back. The Night Class passed by, and the giggling girls finally went off to bed. Three weeks had passed since Arashi's little "discussion" with Aido, but without his nightly jokes and visits, it seemed as though no time had passed at all.

Aido hadn't shown the smallest sign of giving in and settling for "just friends," so he had taken to avoiding Arashi like a batch of salty cookies and sticking to Kaname-sama like a Care Bear who thinks someone needs a hug. It worked out pretty well all around. Aside from the occasional especially malevolent glare Aido threw whenever Kain talked to _his_ hunter, Arashi was completely free of the little pest. Even Kuran had been giving her a little more space since that disastrous party. And, as an added bonus, Aido's vow of silence towards Arashi appeared to extend to his cousin as well, so Kain was getting many more peaceful days of sleep.

As the last of the vampires filed into the classrooms, Arashi glanced longingly towards the woods. While her powers had long since adapted to the environment and she no longer needed to constantly rein them in, fire was still a wild element. It didn't like being caged, and a night of running through the trees, flames licking at every branch and leaf, sounded marvelous. Sighing in disappointment, the elemental forced the happy image from her mind. Who knew what the headmaster would do if she went out and started a wildfire right next to his school?

"Arashi-chan?" Yuki poked her fellow guardian, effectively snapping her out of any lingering fantasies of savage bonfires.

The poked person turned her attention to the dark haired girl standing next to her, a question obvious in her eyes. If Arashi had learned anything about Yuki during her three weeks free of harassment from Aido, it had been that the girl's questions usually lead in interesting directions. Knowing she'd probably regret it later, she said, "Spit it out, Yuki-chan."

The other guardian's face immediately lit up despite the resigned look on her friend's face of one about to jump into a black hole. "Did something happen with Aido-san?"

Mentally, Arashi immediately stiffened, but her body retained its relaxed posture. "He decided it was time to end our friendship." Her tone seemed almost bored, but the hunter was seriously worried. If Yuki thought something was wrong, there was no telling what Kuran guessed.

Why was she worried? Not even Aido would be stupid enough to admit that he'd considered having a forbidden relationship with a human, right? It didn't matter either way.

Yuki looked so sad at the news. Maybe it had been nothing, but she had been almost positive that Aido liked Arashi. And if one vampire and human alliance could work, why couldn't another? But Arashi didn't look too upset, so maybe she had been wrong about it all along.

There the two girls stood, one looking bored as could be, the other looking as if her cat just died, and neither one doing her job. Into the midst of this happy, sunny conversation strode Zero.

"You're late again, Zero!" Yuki yelled as soon as she noticed his approach, which turned out to be when he stopped right next to her.

Zero ignored her reprimands, as usual, but turned to Arashi and said softly, "The headmaster wants to see you."

Grateful for a distraction from the burning desire to, well, burn something, Arashi trudged back over to the school. Still, she was loathing the idea of another audience with the eccentric idiot who insisted she call him "Papa." Even though the now-cooperating flames gave her plenty of energy to carry out her ridiculous work schedule, she still hated keeping the waking hours of both a vampire and a human. And this was certainly going to be another long night.

* * *

"Arashi-chan! My beautiful daughter!" the headmaster squealed, again. Did he have to start every meeting in that obviously fake "happy mode" of his. Honestly, he was just as bad as Aido…who shouldn't have been invading Arashi's thoughts unbidden. 

Patiently waiting for the overly caffeinated "educator" to calm down, the Kiryu examined the fascinating scenery of tree branches outside the office window. It took a few moments before a wonderful silence set in.

When it did, Arashi finally returned her attention to the pouting man at the desk and asked, "Why did you call me down here, Headmaster?"

Then, he exploded, "I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME 'PAPA!' WHY IS MY DAUGHTER BEING SO MEAN TO ME?" A fiery wolf's gaping jaws dared him to continue his shouting tirade. Once the idiot had calmed himself, again, Arashi drew the flames back into her eyes and waited for an actual answer.

Finally, Headmaster Cross seemed ready to get down to business. Those bouts of energy were tiring for someone of his age, not to mention taxing on the minds and tempers of those around him. "Ahem, Arashi-chan, have you been talking to Aido-san lately?"

Shooting a death glare at her "father," Kiryu wondered why in the night everyone was asking her about Aido on this particular evening. _Did they plan this?_ Dismissing that thought as ludicrous, she answered, "No."

The headmaster wasn't that shocked. Just the other day, Yuki had spoken to him about how worried she was for Zero's sister. She'd been performing her duties flawlessly, but instead of befriending more vampires and strengthening ties between their races, she'd clammed up and reverted more and more back to her hunter state each day. Kain had seemed to be the one exception, but even he was leaving her relatively alone. It was very troubling. Of course, he wondered if Yuki received a more detailed answer when she asked. He had to say, coordinating their interrogating sessions as they had was certainly one of his more brilliant plans.

"Headmaster?"

"Oh dear, did I space out there? Well, no matter." The detached look on his face made Arashi doubt that he had managed to completely come back to their conversation, but she couldn't exactly walk out. What if it actually _was_ something important? "Are you at all familiar with the name 'Asato Ichijo?'"

Immediately snapping to attention, Arashi said, "Possibly."

_Gee, as on guard as ever…_Preparing for the worst, the headmaster continued, "He is the grandfather of our Night Class vice-president, Takuma Ichijo. He's also a member of the vampire Senate."

"What about him?"

"Well," Cross trailed off. "He's expected here at the academy for a visit tomorrow night." Despite his sheepish smile, the headmaster was deeply worried. Last time this man came, they had gotten through without any major incidents. However, with the death of the pureblood Shizuka Hiou so recent, there was little chance that this would be a mere social call.

Arashi dragged him out of his mulling. "So?"

Headmaster Cross looked up in something akin to shock. What did she mean by "so?" Wasn't it obvious? She was a school guardian! She should be guarding and stuff!

Seeing the poor man's obvious confusion, Arashi clarified, "Under normal circumstances, such information would mean killing a target. I'm assuming that is not the case here."

Apparently, it wasn't obvious. "Keep an eye on him, but do not engage in any type of fighting unless he becomes a threat."

"Understood, Headmaster. Good night."

As soon as the door clicked shut, Cross let out a huge sigh of relief. He hadn't spoken to this Kiryu very often since his first meeting with her, but it was always an adventure. This time seemed even tenser than the first. _Perhaps I should do something…Arashi-chan needs to lighten up…she'll kill herself at the rate she's going._

Not bothering to dig into her superior's mind for anymore information, Arashi Kiryu headed off to bed. _Asato Ichijo...he's coming for Hiou's killer…_ She didn't need to read Cross's thoughts to put two and two together. A pureblood's death was an important occurrence, and if she guessed rightly, her brother would be the prime suspect.

Hopefully, the menace of a man would tread cautiously once he realized she was there. Asato Ichijo- Arashi had last seen him on the night she assassinated his former master, Senri Shiki's father: Rido Kuran was Kaname's uncle and the cause of a lot of mischief in the vampire world, enough so that the Hunters sent their best to eliminate what was left of the leech, body and soul. Asato Ichijo would be wary once he saw her, but if he did do anything stupid, she'd crush him.

* * *

"Nooo!" Takuma Ichijo, the Moon Dorm's distinguished vice-president, wailed. In roughly an hour's time, he'd be face to face with his grandfather. Frankly, being locked in a room full of vampire hunters was preferable to spending a night in the midst of such _evil_. There was no other word to describe the feeling that surrounded the ancient vampire who would be upon their steps soon. 

After hearing the cries of agony and distress emanating from his best friend's room for the fifth time in ten minutes, Kaname finally decided to walk down the hall and investigate. Opening the door to find Ichijo furiously stashing away his hordes of manga in the closet, under floorboards, inside hollow tomes, and anywhere else that wouldn't bend the pages, Kaname was a little surprised. Sure, a visit from the great Asato Ichijo usually put everyone a bit on edge, but this was ridiculous.

"Ichijo, what are you doing?"

Immediately ceasing his hiding frenzy, the shocked vampire straightened up, grinned, and attempted to look relaxed. "Kaname, what are you doing here?"

Shaking his head at the abrupt change in his friend, he replied with a genuine smile, "Since we don't have class tonight, I thought I'd walk around, talk, and maybe find out which banshee was making that horrible racket."

Guiltily looking from side to side, Ichijo said, "Well, I hope you find him! Good luck!" With that, he turned back to see how many volumes remained on his bed to be safely tucked into their shelters. The boy resembled a squirrel burying all his acorns before the winter snow hit.

Both eyebrows raised in amusement over his friend's antics, Kaname left the room and descended down to the main parlor. It was funny how some things never changed. When he had been a young orphan living with Ichijo's family, Kaname had constantly seen little Takuma shoving a book under his pillow every time he heard a creak of floorboards outside his door. His grandfather had never approved of the portrayal of vampires in the manga he read.

Tonight would be very interesting. It was amazing that a visit by a grandfather could disrupt the calm of Cross Academy so much, at least the calm for half of it. All of the vampires would be on their best behavior, Kaname was sure. However, as always, the resident hunters, the Kiryus, presented an unknown factor he could not pretend to understand. Of course, Ichijo-sama was coming to the school to investigate Shizuka Hiou's death, but if he tried to accuse Zero, things could get messy. If he made the mistake of accusing Zero of so much as killing a ladybug, the younger Kiryu's gun would be the least of his worries.

"NOOO!!!"

Well, Ichijo's screams were getting louder. Maybe he was running out of hiding places for the books.

* * *

A black limo pulled up to the door of the Night Dorm. Inside, all was still. The evil presence of the ancient vampire outside was almost tangible in the air. Not a white-clad student moved as Kaname and the vice-president opened the front entrance to admit their guest. If the tension in the room got any thicker, the whole vampire class would soon look like Han Solo in carbonite. 

Into the midst of this relaxed environment strolled Asato Ichijo, looking for all the world like he owned the place. He spared but a moment to bow before Kaname before making himself comfortable on a nearby, conveniently vacant sofa. Even sitting and no longer towering over half the dorm residents, Asato still cut an imposing figure. His sharply cut face and broad shoulders belied none of his immense age, and his eyes struck more surely than a sniper's rifle. Unfortunately for his grandson, Takuma, that piercing gaze was locked on him.

"Are your studies going well, Takuma?" As he addressed his grandson, his deep voice managed to convey his utter disdain while sounding completely cheerful. Speaking to the whimsical little boy with whom he happened to share blood was more of an expected duty or chore than anything else. But as with most unhappy jobs associated with his post and prestige, Asato tended to it with an impeccable acting ability.

Having opted to remain standing while Kaname-sama sat in the chair across from their guest of honor, the younger Ichijo gave a respectful affirmation but stayed as far away as politeness would allow. Participating in this short conversation was just as much of a pain to him as it was to the elderly vampire.

Minutes passed by without so much as a whisper. The other students were far too wary of this senior member of the Vampire Council to risk his displeasure, but Asato-sama seemed content to remain silent, idly glancing here and there.

Or was he? No, there was a sharpness to his wandering gaze that suggested restlessness, a need to charge ahead. But he was reining it in, willing to wait. What was this for? Well, most of the Night Class had no idea why, after such a long journey, the man would sit there without so much as a comment on the weather. Luckily for them, else it could have been a very long night, Kaname had some idea of where this meeting was headed.

With a regal wave of his hand and a pointed look in the direction of Aido and Kain, the rest of the Night Class was silently herded upstairs to their rooms. Kaname closed his eyes, leaned into the soft cushions of the couch, and patiently awaited the return of his two right-hand men. They were not long. Asato-sama's audience had quickly been reduced to four. Kaname, Takuma, Kain, and Aido all appeared attentive, so perhaps it was finally time to make this trip worthwhile.

"A pureblood was murdered here at this school recently, as you are, doubtless, all aware," Asato-sama began. His eyes took on a darker glare than before, if it was possible. "I am here to bring the killer to justice."

Silence hung heavy upon the grand entrance hall. Aido and Kain immediately tensed. Knowing of Kaname-sama's guilt in the matter, they immediately hoped with all their might that Asato had not found out. Even a pureblood could not escape punishment for the murder of another pureblood. Takuma was a little confused, but he stood there alongside the others waiting to see how things would play out. Kaname looked as calm and relaxed as ever, except for his eyes which were cautiously surveying the old vampire.

"The Council believes that a questioning of Zero Kiryu would prove productive to our search for the truth," Asato-sama continued. Aido and Kain withheld their sighs of relief, and Kaname's eyes cooled to match his stance. Looking over in the cousins' direction, Asato ordered, "You, Aido, isn't it? Go and fetch the Kiryu boy."

After receiving an almost imperceptible nod from Kaname-sama, Aido complied and set off to "fetch" Zero. What did this guy think he was? A dog? Amidst his grumbling thoughts, an even more unpleasant one poked through: _What will Arashi-chan- I mean, Kiryu-san- do if she finds out about this?

* * *

_

He was there. She could smell him. The evil scent clung to the air and made everything seem colder, darker. She almost smiled at the memories this feeling evoked. For a moment, all her hard work ignoring the never-ending tide of blood within her mind was thrown to the wind. But only for a moment.

This was not the time for reminiscing, not when trouble was afoot. _Speaking of trouble, there goes Aido…the little wretch…and he's headed for the…boys' dorm._

All her senses on high alert, Arashi slipped from her perch on the roof of the girls' dorm, noiselessly landing in the shadows on the ground below. There was no reason to make herself known yet, but she didn't intend to be peacefully sleeping this night away. It appeared that Asato Ichijo might be needing a visit from her after all.

* * *

AN: Wasn't particularly happy with this chapter...but I usually say that on every chapter. Well, review and let me know what you think. Ideas, questions, criticism...all are welcome breaks in my otherwise boring days.


	11. Don't Worry, Be Happy

I'm very sorry for the long wait. Gomen. A big thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites/alert lists, and an extra big thank you to those who took the time to review.

Disclaimer: Ooh. Last thing in the stocking! Could it be?...THE RIGHTS TO VAMPIRE KNIGHT!!!...Nope. Just a can of spam. So, I still don't own it. Just Arashi.

* * *

Chapter 11: 

Knock! Knock!

Zero's eyes opened immediately, but he made no move to get up. For the first time in ages, the guardians' presence was not required, and there was no way he was going to miss out on a decent night of sleep. It's not like eight hours in dreamland is a normal thing, right? Maybe if he just ignored whoever was stupid enough to disturb him, the little pest would go away.

"Kiryu?" Aido called softly as he stepped into the small dorm room.

Oh, for goodness' sake! Why did the headmaster curse Zero with a rotten schedule that gave him such little time to rest that he never bothered to lock his door?

"You're in the wrong dorm, Aido." Zero was up, back leaning against the bed's headrest, with a far-from-amused look adorning his face.

Considering the stressful circumstances back with Kaname and the evil old guy, it was no surprise that Aido snapped back, "I know I'm not in the Moon Dorm, you idi--!"

"No."

Aido stopped mid-rant and for a moment reverted to his usual confused self. "No?"

A ghost of a smirk graced Zero's lips. "Arashi is in the girls' dorm."

Bowing his head down for a second while he collected himself for a very composed retort, Aido ended up screaming back, "That's so mean, Kiryu! I can't believe you'd tease me about her after she dumped me! Even Kaname-sama has had the decency not to mention it! You heartless, cruel--!"

"Did you come here for a reason, vampire?" As fun as it was to annoy the hyperactive twit, all that yelling was just a little too loud for someone who had just woken up.

Reassuming "secret agent mode," Aido got a grip on himself and relayed the situation. "Asato Ichijo is a guest tonight, and he requests your presence immediately regarding some very important matters." _More like _demands_ really, but he gets the idea._

Zero leveled his tired gaze at the dutiful messenger before acquiescing. "Let me get some shoes."

Taking quick stock of the Kiryu's current state of dress, Aido was a little unsure of whether or not to say something. He settled on silence. If Zero Kiryu wanted to appear before one of the most powerful vampires in the world, who was probably going to accuse him of murder, in flannel pajama pants, a t-shirt, and sneakers, it was all on his head, literally.

* * *

Mentally congratulating herself on her foresight to dress in a more appropriate "hunting outfit" (as opposed to that ridiculous school uniform costume), Arashi silently followed the two boys on their way to the Moon Dorm. Thanks to the beautiful landscaping around the buildings, there was no shortage of trees to skulk behind. Neither vampire ahead of her noticed her presence in the least. 

"Kiryu, do you smell that?" Or not. Maybe Aido's nasal receptors were more acute than she'd given them credit for.

Zero, smelling absolutely nothing but the stench of aristocratic, vampiric, expensive cologne, gave a terse "No."

After a few more sniffs at the air, Aido inquired, "Kiryu, did you put on deodorant?"

If she hadn't been in the role of the silent predator stalking its prey, Arashi might have given in to a light chuckle. Finally, someone else was on the receiving end of Aido's weirdness! Justice had been served! Just as she had felt Zero's pain at the hands of the crazy headmaster, now too must he feel hers at the hands of the idiot! All thoughts on unplanned, yet sweet revenge aside, the two vampires had just reached the gate in the wall of the Moon Dorm.

Bypassing the creepy gatekeeper, Arashi pounced up and over the wall, the very image of a large cat. Catwoman! Well, not quite, since Catwoman was a thief and Arashi was here to kill, not steal. Wow, this night needed to get interesting really quickly before any more ludicrous tangents invaded the plot.

Getting through the front door before it closed without anyone noticing required a little too much effort, so Arashi went to Plan B. Over on the far side of the building from the super secret meeting, with a flame-aided boost, she jumped to an open window on the second story. The hunter calmly stepped down out of the night air into the dorm room of Ruka Souen and Rima Tooya, knives and guns still resting in their holsters on her legs.

The two female vampires were shocked to say the least. Even had they not been in neutral territory, no normal hunter could have reached them so easily on the second floor. But they weren't facing any ordinary hunter. They were looking on the face of _the_ hunter, and she was in no mood to deal with fools tonight.

Unable to contain herself once her initial fright wore off, Ruka practically yelled, "How dare you, Kiryu! This is going too far! Get out of here, now!"

Rima glanced apprehensively between her roommate and the hunter who still had not acknowledged their presence. Ruka tended to speak and act without thinking when she thought Kaname-sama was involved. Though her loyalty was admirable, yelling at this particular Kiryu was probably not the brightest thing she could do at the moment. The odd pressure Rima had felt on that first night Arashi came to the academy was absent from the air, but that made her more worried. Whatever Kiryu had come to do, she would do, and Rima knew without a doubt that there was no way they could stop her, even if they tried.

Arashi seemed to come back to herself. Her eyes lost the faraway appearance of one lost in memory and took on a fiery sheen. When she looked directly into Ruka's eyes, the vampire crumpled to the ground. Rima rushed over to her fallen comrade. The eyes were open, but nobody was home. The still-conscious vampire looked fearfully in Kiryu's direction, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.

After making sure her Bloody Rose gun was loaded and her knives secure, Arashi turned back to where Rima was sitting, cradling Ruka's head on her lap, unsure of the hunter's intentions. "Tell your friend that she's lucky when she wakes up from that brain freeze." The Kiryu opened the door and walked out but glanced over her shoulder at the last second and added, "If I wasn't so busy, I would have killed her."

The door closed. Rima was left with the limp body of a powerful vampire, an aristocrat. Kiryu brought her down with nothing but her eyes. What kind of monster were they dealing with?

Arashi did not spare a second thought for the frightened girls whose room she had invaded. They were no threat, and she would soon have bigger fish to fry. Not to mention, throughout "Operation Rescue Zero," she needed to avoid any lengthy explanations to certain snobby, uptight, overly nosy vampires. Too many questions would complicate things later. Besides, just because she had broken into their dorm carrying weapons with the intent to hurt and/or kill someone, her affairs were absolutely none of their business.

She stealthily slid down the stairs. Voices were carrying out from a side room in the front. The whole area was too open and exposed to allow for much sneaking, so she softly dropped over the side railing about halfway down. Edging along the entryway's wall, Arashi reached the arched opening to the side parlor. As tempting as it was to peek around the corner, the voices would give her enough information to know when to act. There was no sense in blowing her cover now on the off chance that her presence was not needed at all tonight. For the time being, she would just listen.

The silence was quickly turning awkward. Asato Ichijo was glaring at Zero who was glaring back at him and somehow glaring at Kaname at the same time who was delivering his most serious of looks back at Asato. Takuma, though he was pretty sure those piercing eyes would all be turned on him, could not take one more second of this tense atmosphere. He had to do something. "So, nice weather we're having, right?"

As predicted, all eyes turned to him in disbelief before quickly regaining their former anger and lack of humor. Takuma nervously scratched the back of his head with a smile on his face. At least it wasn't silent anymore.

_Alright, there's Zero, Aido…I know that's Takuma Ichijo's voice…Kuran has to be there…most likely Kain…and, of course, Asato Ichijo._

Oddly enough, Takuma's savior in this moment of extreme peril turned out to be none other than that moody defender of the innocents, minus vampires- Zero. "Why did you summon me, Ichijo-san?" His tone held no warmth and he made no effort to appear friendly.

Asato appeared ready to put the games aside as well. Ignoring his boisterous grandson again, he answered his most regal and commanding voice, "Zero Kiryu, I have been sent by the High Council of the Vampire Senate to apprehend the murderer of the pureblood, Shizuka Hiou."

"So?" This interruption actually came from Kuran. "Kiryu is a guardian of the academy. It is his job to ensure that the headmaster's pacifist ideals are followed."

Not willing to quit, even under pressure from the remaining Kuran, Asato continued, "The Senate has been led to believe that, due to past incidences, Kiryu has reason to hold a grudge against Hiou." Turning back to the hunter in their midst, Asato asked the key question: "Kiryu, are you responsible for the death of Shizuka Hiou?"

Zero did not look the least bit uncomfortable. Reclining back against the cushy couch, he replied, "Sadly, no."

_The moment of truth approaches,_ Arashi thought as her body tensed in preparation for the probable confrontation to come.

"Well, thank you for your time, Kiryu-san. That is all I require," Asato said with a slight incline of his head.

Outside the parlor in the hall, Arashi almost fell over in shock. That was it? She had worried and leaped and stalked and all of that nonsense for nothing?

Takuma, once again unable to contain himself, obviously felt the same incredulity over his grandfather's actions, or lack thereof. "Really?" he asked, just to be sure.

Asato sent a small, condescending smile in Takuma's direction before looking back to Zero with his usual frosty glare back in place. "Of course, not. The word of a hunter is nothing, which is why Kiryu will be accompanying me back to the Senate where he will be officially questioned."

_Ha, I knew the old geezer wouldn't let me down,_ Arashi smirked to herself. Now, at last, she could stop hiding and resolve this little problem.

"Asato Ichijo," she called as she stepped into the parlor. The ancient vampire's face immediately went white upon seeing the face he had hoped never to lay eyes upon again. "Long time, no see," Arashi said with a wolf's grin.

For a long moment, nobody moved. The six vampires stared at their uninvited guest while her eyes never left Asato's terrified expression.

Once again, good old Takuma was the first to break under the strain of the silence. "Arashi-chan, you know my grandfather?"

"More importantly," Kuran cut in, "what exactly are you doing here? With weapons?"

Ignoring both of them, Arashi kept talking as if Asato was the only one in the room. "I don't think we've met since I killed Rido Kuran." The collective gasp from her audience did not stop her. "I told you then that if you ever crossed me, his death would become yours."

Asato, had he not been _the _Asato Ichijo, would have been trembling where he sat. As it was, he could only manage to choke out, "Fire's Storm."

"Better known here as 'Arashi Kiryu,'" Aido informed the shaky senator.

With this little fun fact, the light bulb clicked on. Asato got it. He had just declared that he was taking the family of Fire's Storm to a group of vampires who would kill him. She was a ruthless, merciless killer. There was no way she would forgive this. Well, he decided that he would rather be a live coward than a dead hero.

In less than a second, Asato bolted up from the couch and sprinted for the front door. Arashi closed her eyes and threw an arm in his direction. He got within five feet of the door when the flames engulfed him. There was no ending scream of pain and terror for others to hear. There was no slow peeling and crumbing of the skin and bones, no hideous sights at which onlookers would cringe. It was simple and absolute, done in the time it took to blink. One moment Asato was ablaze with living fire, the next, nothing but a few scattered ashes remained in the entryway to remind anyone that he had ever been there.

Arashi opened her eyes and withdrew her hand. At least she would not have to worry about cleaning her weapons. Zero stood and joined her, content with the night's outcome. They walked up to the front door, and no one tried to stop them. So, that was the power of an elemental, controlled and wild, fierce and lethal.

Finding herself with a parting thought to convey at the door for the second time that night, Arashi turned back to the four vampires who were only just coming back to themselves and moving to inspect the remains of the old Ichijo. "You might want to get a maid to clean that up."

Once the door was safely shut, Zero looked his sister over. She could have just spent a long afternoon in the sun reading for how relaxed she seemed. "That was quick," he grinned slyly at her. "However," he cautioned, "this is neutral territory, and the vampires won't take that lying down."

Arashi looked up at the night sky, then out into the distance. "I am more of a monster than any of these leeches can ever hope to become. I killed when I was ordered to kill. I offered no reason or apology. I was told that the world was better for what I did." She lapsed into a small piece of tranquil silence, then turned her eyes back to her little brother. "This is the second time I have killed simply because I wished to kill, but I do not regret it, as long as you're safe."

* * *

That's all for this round, folks! So, please review and I'll see ya'll next time! 


	12. Moonlight Confessions

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

* * *

Chapter 12: _Moonlight Confessions (Spotlight on Takuma)_

As everyone knows without a doubt, fangirls are among the most tenacious beings to walk the earth. Hence, it should not come as a surprise to anyone reading this that, yet again, as twilight fell, the Day Class girls were out in full force screaming their heads off.

The gates opened and the Night Class strode out in all their otherworldly beauty, again. The human girls squealed, again.

But wait. Something was very different tonight. As if it was not bad enough that the Night Class had not come out the night before, but now they looked somehow less brilliant than usual. They seemed more subdued. Their steps lacked the usual ring of confidence. Their heads were bowed, their eyes on the ground. What happened to their beautiful idols? The dismayed fans had no idea what was wrong, but their eyes shone with new determination.

They were going to cheer up the Night Class!

Out of the corner of his eye, Takuma Ichijo spied the huge huddle of Day Class girls plotting something in hushed voices. He tried to cast a small smile in that direction, but not even their boundless enthusiasm could lift the gloom of this night. Despite the funeral-like atmosphere of the vampires' procession, they were not in mourning: they were in fear.

Thanks to Arashi's little demonstration, Takuma was sure Zero would never be bothered by the Council again, and she did not seem worried about any possible retaliation towards herself. With powers like hers, she did not need to be afraid of anything.

"Ichijo-san."

"KYA!" Takuma shrieked. He wheeled on his "attacker" only to find Arashi wearing a rather bemused expression at his outburst. Between the temporarily incapacitated Ruka Souen and the dead Ichijo, Arashi's identity as "just another Guardian" had been completely blown with the Night Class. There was no reason to hide her ability to consistently sneak up on people now. Still, Takuma being Takuma, he had to ask, "Did you have to sneak up on me like that?"

"No." The tiny grin had not left her face.

Takuma was not the only one to notice this Kiryu's sudden appearance. The Night Class was walking as far away from Arashi as they could, barely caring to be discreet about the looks they shot at her back. Kaname saw his best friend being left behind as the others entered the school, and the reason for the holdup nearly made his blood run cold. He motioned for the class to go on without him and swiftly turned around to head back to Takuma. Aido and Kain, being Kaname's bodyguards, and being insanely curious, just happened to follow him, too.

Arashi felt the three approaching her from behind, but she continued, "Ichijo-san, I know it is improper to skip class, but I was hoping I might have a private word with you tonight."

"Absolutely not," Kuran cut in as he reached the two still standing in the middle of the grounds. "Despite being in neutral territory, you just killed his grandfather last night! And now you expect me to let you take him off to some dark corner alone?"

Arashi's eyes narrowed. She could not exactly blame Kuran's distrust of her, but he was speaking a little too arrogantly for his own good. "That happens to be the very issue I wished to discuss to Ichijo-san. And I don't expect you to _let_ me do anything. I will do what I wish with or without your consent, Kuran."

Knowing that there really was nothing he could do to stop her, Kaname opted for a compromise. "Very well, I will excuse Takuma from classes tonight, and Aido will accompany him."

At the mention of that certain annoying waste of perfectly good space, Arashi's severe face became the very picture of "fury." If only she could kill Kuran right then, but arguing more was not going to get them anywhere. "Fine."

Aido looked almost as happy as Arashi at the arrangement Kaname-sama had suggested, but he bore it with stoic silence. The pureblood forced himself to head back to the school, and Kain followed close behind. Neither one glanced back at the remaining trio, but nor was their unease dissipated. Well, Kain was not too worried. Arashi had not hurt anyone at Cross Academy without major instigation, and he did not think she would break that streak now. Kuran was praying with all his heart that he would not have two new piles of ashes at his doorstep by morning.

"Come," Arashi ordered. She walked back towards the Moon Dorm all the vampires had just vacated. Ichijo and Aido followed without uttering a word of protest. It seemed better to simply hear what she had to say and hopefully survive.

Then, a thought popped into Aido's head. "Where are Yuki-chan and Zero, tonight?"

Smirking a little at her own cleverness in planning things so perfectly, Arashi said, "I gave them the night off, so they could eat a nice dinner with the headmaster." She could just imagine the veins in Zero's forehead throbbing already while Yuki smiled amiably.

With the ice broken over thoughts of the younger Kiryu's torture, Takuma laughed a little, feeling much more like his usual carefree self. Even Aido had to loosen up a little bit, and they walked into the Moon Dorm more relaxed than when they had left, despite walking straight onto the site of a very recent murder. The doors closed with a low boom like thunder.

"And break!" the fangirls cried out in unison. They had finally devised the perfect plan to return all their nocturnal idols to their normal selves! Now, they just needed to follow the plan to the letter! Then, they realized that they were alone on the lawn with not a Night Class member in sight.

"Where'd they go?" one lone voice cried out.

* * *

As soon as the door was shut, Takuma's eyes immediately strayed down to the carpet where his grandfather had last stood. The maids had long ago taken care of the mess of ashes. Now, nothing remained to indicate that he had ever been there at all. Takuma tried to distract himself by transforming into the courteous host and was about to offer Kiryu a seat in the parlor to his right…until he realized that it was there that they had all been sitting last night when "it" happened. 

Attempting to keep his forced smile in place, Takuma opened his mouth again, "Would you please sit down and make yourself comfortable, Arashi-chan?" He motioned to the salon on the opposite side of the entrance hall, and Arashi took the hint.

She walked in slowly, each slight turn of the head allowing her to take in every corner of the room, every escape route, every possible weapon. When Aido thought about it, perhaps she had always done this discreet survey whenever she entered a room, but they had never been looking for it. Now, with careful observation, he could see the disciplined, trained routine surfacing just enough to keep Arashi wary. To be like this wherever she went had to be tiring, but she was a hunter. If hunters wished to remain predators, they must never be caught off guard.

Arashi sank into the deep cushions of a couch by the window, the moonlight bathing her silver hair. Neither one wanting to be very close to Kiryu, Takuma and Aido both moved for the couch across from her. Unfortunately for Aido, Takuma reached it first and promptly swept both his feet up onto the furniture, thereby taking up the entire couch and forcing Aido to sit next to Arashi. Hey, just because he had been scared out of his wits when she murdered his grandfather in front of him was no reason for Takuma to not play matchmaker. The situation was tense enough without Aido playing the silent game. Besides, if Arashi did decide to go on a killing spree, maybe she would take enough time on the vampire closest to her for Takuma to get away.

The minutes ticked by. No one said anything. Arashi keep her unfocused gaze on the moonlit grounds outside. Aido worked hard to keep his fingers still and every so often chanced a quick glance at the girl beside him. Takuma could not stand the silence, again, but he decided to actually stay quiet this time.

Attempting to make the time pass more quickly, Takuma tried to guess what Arashi was going to say to him. Her eyes still refused to focus on anything. Her posture was relaxed and nothing about her betrayed the slightest bit of concern. It was too perfect. Looking more closely, he saw a faint trace of weariness and worry in her countenance. Was she scared that the Vampire Senate would come after her? Kaname had already sent word to them that there was nothing to be done, but that did not mean they would not try something. Still, this was an elemental he was talking about. Scared? No, so…

"Ichijo-san."

"Eep!" Takuma had been staring so intensely, he had been completely oblivious to the look Arashi had been giving him from the corner of her eye.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You are wondering why I am here." Takuma nodded mutely. Arashi's eyes shot open and her bearing became ramrod straight. She looked every bit the hunter she had been last night. "I wanted to apologize."

Aido laughed. Takuma did not miss the bitter edge to it, and he was sure Arashi heard it as well. When his short spurt of laughter subsided, Aido said, eyes accusing, "Why do you bother? We both know you aren't sorry for killing Ichijo-san. What's the use of such empty words from a hunter, no less?"

Arashi did not respond to Aido. She did not even look at him. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth hardened into a firm, thin line, but she gave no other indication that she had heard anything.

Struck by the intensity of his friend's taunts, Takuma tried to soothe the situation. "Please, Arashi-chan, what it is you want to apologize for?"

For a moment, Takuma was not sure she had heard him, but then her eyes suddenly softened, and she looked at him with such sisterly care that he almost thought he had entered one of his favorite manga. "I want to apologize for the pain I have caused you, Ichijo-san, and for the trouble I have caused.

"It was not my intention to kill anyone when I came to Cross Academy, but the situation changed. I could not leave my brother in danger any more than Kuran could let me speak to you alone, tonight."

"So you admit that you aren't sorry for murdering Asato Ichijo?" Aido pressed.

Arashi sighed again, and the slight signs of weariness Takuma had detected before became more pronounced than ever. "I have killed hundreds, thousands of times in my life. Out of all of them, only two have been by my own choice, for my own reasons.

"No, I am not sorry that I murdered Asato Ichijo. It is one of only two kills I have made that I chose for myself, and I will bear whatever burden comes of it."

By this point, Takuma was so overcome by the fierce protection Arashi felt for her brother that tears were streaming down his face. "Arashi-chan! That's so beautiful!" he cried.

"You, idiot!" Aido yelled. "She killed your grandfather!"

Still crying hysterically, Takuma replied, "We all hated him anyway!"

Dumbstruck and unable to fully process what was going on, Aido slouched back on the couch and gave in. "This is ridiculous. Just go get yourself cleaned up, Idiot."

After giving Arashi one last big smile, Takuma obeyed and walked off to find some tissues.

"I will never understand that guy," Aido mumbled to himself, running a hand back through his hair. Feeling someone's eyes on him, he turned to see Arashi giving him a little half-smile. Her feet were tucked under her on the couch, and she looked, once again, like a normal, non-lethal schoolgirl. "What? Reveling in my pain?" he asked.

"No," she answered, the smile still there.

Realizing that he had broken his silent streak during the conversation, but too happy to see Arashi smiling at him again to care, Aido continued, turning his body to face her, "Oh, you still think this is funny?"

"No." The smile refused to leave.

"Are you sure?" Aido countered, bracing one hand against the back of the furniture.

Her face finally breaking into a full smile, she said, yet again, "No."

Aido pushed off the couch's back and pounced onto Arashi, grabbing her about the middle and pulling her back on top of himself. He had started laughing again, this time a happy, joyful sound, and she was still smiling as she half-heartedly tried to wriggle out of his hold.

Then, Aido realized something. "I'm not dead."

Letting out one little laugh, Arashi agreed, "No, you're not."

Ecstatic over this wonderful discovery, Aido pulled her in a little closer, turning her around so they would be face to face. "Does this mean you've changed your mind?"

The laughter left her eyes and the smile died, but Arashi did not move. "Aido," she began, a hand reaching up towards his face.

A sudden shock ran down Arashi's spine. Her eyes widened while her pupils dilated and her body stiffened with tension.

"Arashi?" Aido called to her. She wasn't breathing. Something was wrong. "Arashi!"

Her breath came back to her in a sweeping gust that would have knocked her off her feet if she had been standing. As it was, she all but went limp while Aido's arms held her more tightly and he cradled her head against his chest.

When she regained control of herself, she immediately stood and began walking towards the front door. Aido was barely a step behind her.

Reaching out, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Arashi, what's wrong?"

She looked back to the window, still gleaming with moonlight. "The last one is here. It's almost over."

* * *

A/N: Well, as Arashi said, it's (sadly) almost over. Not just yet, but we're getting there. As always, a big, warm "thank you" to everyone who put this in their story favorites/alerts. And an extra big "thank you" to everyone who reviewed last chapter.

Music played throughout the writing of this chapter: "Requiem Inori"

Please leave reviews!


	13. Erasing the Past

Disclaimer: Yes! I'm finally Matsuri Hino! I own VK! ...wakes up from wonderful dream...nevermind.

(Oh yeah, don't forget to read the author's note at the end...)

* * *

Chapter 13: _Erasing the Past_

_"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."_

_John 15:13 _

"Well, then, everything seems to be in order, Kiryu-san," the headmaster acknowledged. No good could come of this particular turn of events, but it was futile to hinder fate any longer. "Well, why don't you join me for breakfast before class?"

"Thank you, Headmaster," Kiryu replied with a small smile.

Honestly, it was downright freaky to see Zero's face looking friendly, but the headmaster brushed aside the feeling of foreboding that had been nagging at him the entire morning, which meant the past hour or so. What could he say? Being up half of every night to keep half an eye on the Night Class did not make Headmaster Cross much of an early bird.

Inside the kitchen, Yuki was surprisingly wide awake and hard at work over the hot stove, which meant everything was black, burned, and nowhere near edible. Since Arashi had given the other two guardians a break last night, Yuki had been able to get a decent night's sleep, hence, she was up and about "cooking." However, when her adoptive father and Kiryu strolled in, she stopped short and froze. During her moment of shocked stillness, the last member of the breakfast party slipped in the door behind the headmaster.

The clink of Zero's chain echoed through the small kitchen as he drew his Bloody Rose gun.

"Headmaster," Yuki asked slowly, "what is _he_ doing here?"

The guest who had walked in with Cross was none other than Ichiru Kiryu, Zero's traitorous younger twin, who currently had Zero's gun pressed to the back of his head.

Sighing over Zero's instinctive jump to violence, the headmaster tried to maintain his happy mood. It was too early in the day to be gloomy. "Well, I see both of Papa's children remember Ichiru-kun! He's joining the Day Class!" Despite the heat emanating from the death glares Yuki and Zero were shooting at him, the oblivious man continued with a smile, "Didn't I tell you?"

After another tense moment of silence, Zero holstered his gun and walked over to the stove to see if anything could be salvaged for breakfast. Nope, Yuki had thoroughly destroyed everything in pot, pan, and toaster. She even spilled salt in the jam. Unceremoniously dumping the wasted food in the garbage amidst Yuki's cries of horror and ignoring the punches she delivered to his arm, Zero barely noticed the little feeling tickling the back of his brain until it was too late.

"Ichiru-kun!" Yuki shrieked as the boy flew through the window to crash on the lawn below. It was a good thing the kitchen was on the first floor.

Not that it really mattered at this point. Zero stopped taking out fresh ingredients and leaped out the broken window. Yuki was looking everywhere for the culprit who had slipped in unnoticed and thrown Zero's brother. She looked in vain. The headmaster sat down at the table and began calmly sipping a cup of coffee. He knew what was coming, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

An early morning fog still hung about the grounds. Ichiru quickly shook off the stupor which clung to his brain. He could feel blood dripping down his forehead from a shallow cut. Bits of broken glass clung to his new Day Class uniform, but he disregarded the small pricks of pain and got to his feet. Zero was standing off to the side, no readable expression on his face. Somehow, this was not reassuring.

"Ichiru Kiryu," a voice from the fog called out like a whisper that sliced through stone.

Ichiru was not one to easily back down, much like any Kiryu. He haughtily called back, "And who might you be?" The smug smile on his face died the moment she stepped out of the fog, or rather, the fog retreated behind her. Ichiru saw his own face, softened with the feminine features of a woman, but the resemblance was unmistakable. "So, you're the infamous Arashi Kiryu I've heard so much about."

She walked the last few paces to stand before her quarry, graceful as any predator. Then, she stuck out her hand. "Pleased to meet you," she introduced herself with a smile. When Ichiru did not move, she grabbed his hand with her own and shook it gently.

Ichiru still could not believe it, even after word of his sister had spread through and shocked the vampire world. Another Kiryu had survived the massacre, but he had been there. He had watched. He had asked Shizuka-sama to only spare Zero. "But, how?" He could not seem to form any coherent thoughts. Everything was spinning inside his head. He looked to Zero for an explanation, but his twin's face remained as unmoving as stone.

She released his hand, and the smile left her face as abruptly as he had been tossed from the window. "You didn't really think you were the only unwanted child in the family, did you?" Bitterness and accusation were laced in every word. The open, friendly countenance she had displayed a moment ago was gone, and in its place was, in a word, fire.

He was going to die today. He knew that, but he preferred not to leave life as he had entered- ignorant. Finally able to voice at least one question, Ichiru ventured, "Were you sent away? Before-"

"I was sent away before you even left our mother's womb."

Ichiru had thought that nothing would ever move him after the death of his beloved Shizuka-sama. There had been nothing left for him to care about, but here she was: he had a sister who had been thrown away like him. Here was someone who could understand him, but still she looked at him with eyes full of hatred.

He could not understand. "They didn't want you either, so why-"

"Do you know how many lives I have ended?" Arashi cut in. Ichiru blanched. "After all the kills I have made, I still had no wish to kill them, our family." Ichiru did not like the direction this was headed in. "But you did. You wanted them dead, but you didn't even have the guts to do it yourself."

Ichiru tried to protest. "They hated me for being weak!"

"And they sent me away for being strong." Arashi stepped back and drew a small dagger from a sheath strapped to her forearm. "I can protect my family now, and only one thing is standing in my way."

His eyes widened, but he made no move to run. "Just make it quick, Arashi-nee-chan." Ichiru relaxed his tense muscles. His time had finally come. He could finally follow Shizuka-sama.

"You aren't worth the time it would take to inflict real pain."

The dagger sliced swiftly and true. Ichiru's head fell to the ground with a plop, perfectly severed from his body which crumpled soon after. The blood soaked the ground at her feet, but Arashi paid no attention to it. Her eyes were busy elsewhere taking in the horrified face of Yuki, who had seen the whole display from the shattered remains of the window; the headmaster, who had never ventured a glance but continued slurping away at his coffee as if nothing was wrong; and Zero, whose only reaction to the whole affair seemed to be a tint of bloodlust in his eyes, though he had not moved from his initial standpoint.

Arashi walked over to her living brother, leaving a corpse in her wake. The two Kiryu just stood there for a moment, neither saying a word.

Finally, Zero murmured, "Thank you." He did not have to explain. Arashi understood. Even though he had pulled a gun on Ichiru and would have killed him if necessary, there was still some part of his soul that rejected the idea of murdering his twin. Arashi had taken the problem out of his hands and dealt with the traitor as he needed to be dealt with.

Inclining her head ever so slightly in parting, Arashi turned back towards the fog laden campus. "I'll be back later."

"ARASHI-CHAN!" that infamously annoying voice called out the busted window, all pretense of seriousness left behind with his empty mug of coffee. "HOW CAN YOU LEAVE THIS MESS FOR PAPA TO CLEAN UP?! WHAT KIND OF DAUGHTER ARE- ?!!"

The headmaster was interrupted by a somewhat large fireball being tossed over Arashi's shoulder, heading right towards him…only to land squarely on the remains of Ichiru Kiryu. In a split second, during which the headmaster got up from his reflexive dive for cover, the fire had dissipated and nothing but a charred patch of lawn marked the morning murder. Even the threatening fog seemed to be lifting, allowing a slightly breezy, cloudy day to take its place.

Filling his empty cup to the brim with more steaming black coffee, the headmaster mumbled, "Well, at least she got rid of the body before the scent drove the vampires crazy."

Yuki looked incredulously at her adoptive father. "Is that all you have to say? Arashi-chan just killed Ichiru-kun!" When the headmaster shrugged and proceeded to take a sip of his drink, burning his tongue in the process and shouting far too loudly for such a small amount of pain, Yuki reasoned, "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

It took a moment of fanning his hand over his injured tongue, but when the hot sensation had faded, Headmaster Cross gave Yuki a slow, sad smile. "Ichiru-kun knew what could happen when he came here. Don't look so down, Yuki." Forgetting, again, that his coffee was burning hot, he took a huge swig.

While the headmaster repeated his former "dance of pain" with considerably more energy, Yuki realized something. "Hey, where's Zero?" She checked out the window, but he was gone. Yuki wished he had stayed, so she could talk to him, but he probably just wanted to be alone. So she left him to it and went back to burning breakfast, again.

* * *

"Kaname-sama!" Yuki shouted over the hordes of fangirls who, not deterred by last night's abysmal failure, were even more enthusiastic than usual. Fighting her way to the front of the crowd, Yuki finally managed to break free by diving through the last few feet, only to fall flat on her face when she emerged. 

Where was Zero when she needed him? He had not come to class all day, and no one had seen him. Sure, Yuki could understand Zero being upset and wanting to get away from everyone after seeing his brother killed by his sister, but this was crossing the line! How dare he leave her to fend for herself out here!

Suddenly, she was lifted to her feet by none other than…not Kaname-sama! Much to her surprise, Yuki found herself being pulled up by the hand of Kain. His usual look of bored indifference was gone. Instead, he seemed acutely aware of every little detail tonight. It was freaking her out. The order of the universe was not meant to be broken!

"Better keep close, Yuki-san," he whispered once she was standing. "Things are about to get very hot." He did not relinquish his grip on her hand. In fact, he pulled her along with him further inside the group of Night Class students being swarmed by Day Class girls.

Aido shot his cousin a questioning glance while smiling at the girls squealing about their "Idol-senpai." Kain looked like he was waiting for something, and he was keeping Yuki close. The genius's brain went to work: Kain plus Yuki plus trouble equaled Arashi. _What kind of crazy stunt does she have planned now?_ he groaned to himself.

Fortunately for people with short attention spans, Aido did not have to wait long to find out.

Lines of fire shot through the crowd and leapt up into solid walls of flame. The Day Class girls screamed and fled, the living furnaces hot on their heels. When every last one of the fans had scrambled back into the dorms, the fire changed shape again. It rose up from the ground like a massive tidal wave and encased the whole building in a dome of undying flames. Not to worry, the fire did nothing to harm the building or people, but the sweat marks on the uniforms did later require a few runs through the wash.

Meanwhile, the Night Class was watching this spectacle unfold with the greatest apprehension. First, Asato Ichijo was murdered right in front of Kaname-sama. Then, they smelled blood in the early hours of the morning. Now, flames were spontaneously bursting to life and covering buildings. It was just another normal day at Cross Academy, right? Of course not! An elemental seemed to be on the warpath, and there was nothing the vampires could do but wait.

Arashi did not leave them in suspense for long. As soon as the Day Class's view of the grounds was completely blocked, she emerged from the shadows of the trees, much as she had done earlier that day. However, this time, she appeared once again as the hunter. Her black hunting outfit had replaced her school uniform again, and she had even gone so far as to chop her shoulder-length silver locks up to her chin. This harsh, new version of the Kiryu suited this day perfectly. It was time to put a permanent end to the monster who had been roaming this school for too long, and Fire's Storm had come out in all her horrific power to do just that.

"Kiryu-san!" Kaname shouted across the lawn. "What's the meaning of this?"

With tendrils of fire licking at her face and hair, Arashi replied crisply, "You are going to bite Yuki-chan and change her into a pureblood."

Yuki paled, completely confused and shocked, but Kaname called back, "What are you talking about? Yuki is a human. Not even a pureblood bite can make someone a pureblood."

"Unless she was a pureblood to begin with," Arashi supplied.

Aido looked back and forth between everyone. Kain was holding up a very weak Yuki, Kaname-sama was quietly fuming, and Arashi had lost all of the innocent happiness he had seen last night. It was not fair, how she kept changing on him, first the infuriating academy guardian, then the merciless elemental.

Kaname knew when to quit. Kiryu obviously knew she was right, so there was no use denying the fact. However, to obey her command was another story entirely. "Even if you are correct in your assumptions, why would I bite Yuki?"

Arashi closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them again, all the slivers of flames that had been dancing about her face were sucked in. "You _will_ bite Yuki-chan because if you do not, I will kill her."

The grounds were silent but for the crackling of the fire dome over the Sun Dorms. Kaname was not sure why Kiryu was doing this all of a sudden, but he could see in her eyes that she would certainly go through with her threats.

Slowly but surely, Aido was beginning to piece everything together. Perhaps Arashi had meant to drop those hints along the way, or perhaps he was just a genius. Either way, everything was becoming clear, and he almost wished it had remained a blurry mess.

"Where's Zero?" Yuki cried out, startling every vampire.

"He's fine." Yuki looked up to the face behind the voice and was as shocked as everyone else to find Kain answering. "Shi-chan bound him inside some magic circles for tonight, so he wouldn't try to stop her." By now, Aido was gaping and even Kaname was struggling to look unsurprised. "Don't worry. She told me how to free him. I'll let him out as soon as this is over."

"Why?" Yuki yelled. "Why are you doing this, Arashi-chan?" Tears were streaming down her face, but Yuki kept looking unblinkingly for some sign of the old Arashi. She found nothing.

"I don't like waiting, Kuran, so make your choice." Her words sliced through the cool night air as cleanly as her knife had decapitated her brother.

Kaname saw he had no other option. He walked hesitantly towards Yuki who shrank back from him. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear before plunging his fangs into her exposed flesh.

It seemed like forever before he finished feeding. The sweet scent of Yuki's blood covered the area, but no one else so much as moved.

Kaname cradled Yuki's limp, unconscious body in his arms and gently lowered them both to the ground. Arashi was by his side in an instant with her dagger ready. He knew what had to be done. After Arashi made a quick cut across his wrist, he drank from it himself, filling his mouth with his own blood. Kaname tilted his head down towards Yuki's mouth.

"What do you think you're doing, you stupid leech?!" Arashi demanded as she harshly slapped Kaname on the back, causing him to spit out most of his own blood on the grass. "This is Cross Academy, not Sleeping Beauty's castle! Just give her the wrist!" she instructed.

A bit perturbed that his moment had been ruined, Kaname followed the elemental's orders, nonetheless. When a decent amount had flowed from his wrist down Yuki's throat, he laid her to the side and stood, facing the fearsome hunter. "She'll wake up in a few minutes," he said.

"I know." Why did Arashi seem to know all about supposedly "secret" stuff?

The group of vampires nervously cast looks about here and there. What was supposed to happen now? Was that all? Kiryu put on that huge fire display just to have Kaname-sama bite Yuki Cross?

Aido could not hold his tongue anymore. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Arashi did not need to read his mind to guess what he was referring to. "Who else could it have been?"

"You've been dropping clues to us all along, you know," he continued.

"Dropping or _planting_?" she countered.

Caught a few feet back somewhere between the two, Takuma could not contain himself, again. "What are you talking about?!" he shouted.

Kaname finally caught on. "Kiryu-san was the one who killed the other elementals under the Hunters Council."

Pouting as comically as the serious situation would allow, Takuma had to ask, "Am I the only one who didn't know this?" Kaname was not willing to admit that he had just now figured this out, and everyone else stayed silent, so Takuma got the answer he was hoping would not come. Sighing in disappointment over his lack of reasoning abilities, he ventured, "But why, Arashi-chan?"

She turned her piercing, yet emotionless, gaze on him and replied succinctly, "They taught me to kill. They sent me to kill. I killed."

_Isn't that a little too simple?_ everyone wondered, but they kept that thought to themselves. Maybe she would go into more detail later, but hopefully that "later" would not involve living fire and daggers and threats to kill people.

"Arashi-chan? Kaname-sama?" A groggy Yuki was beginning to sit up while clutching her aching head.

Enough time had been wasted. "Kain," Arashi ordered, "take Yuki-chan away. She's still weak, and she'll need to feed soon." Kain obeyed without hesitation, and Kaname managed to control his sudden impulse to throttle the presumptuous hunter.

Still trying to work his brain around all that was happening at the moment, Aido saw no harm in asking for help. "Care to explain what that was for, Arashi-chan?"

She leveled her eyes on the surprisingly controlled vampire. "Zero." He never specified that she give a detailed explanation. One would think the vampires here would have learned to do that by now. Arashi took a deep breath. "Now," she said, "it's time to end this."

The Night Class visibly stiffened. If locking up Zero, enlisting Kain's help, and having Kaname bite Yuki was just the beginning, they were not sure they cared to see the end.

Kaname, being the president, took charge. "What is it you want, now?"

That familiar Kiryu smirk reappeared in an instant. "Well, Kuran, I want you to bite me."

The Night Class gasped. Kaname was not sure he could trust his own ears. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Bite me," Arashi repeated. "Drain me dry. Leave nothing but an empty husk."

This did not make any sense, again. "Wait, you want to become a vampire, Kiryu-san?" Kaname tried to clarify.

"No."

"But you want me to bite you?" Being bitten by a pureblood and becoming a vampire kind of went hand in hand.

"Exactly."

He could have argued the point, but Kaname was tired of all these secrets and surprises. Obviously, whatever was going to happen would, and there was little he could do to prevent it. Kiryu had to know what she was asking. He saw no reason not to comply, although he would probably feel very fat when he was done after already drinking from Yuki.

Aido's brain was running a mile a minute. Arashi had some hidden motive behind this request. Just because she did not hate vampires the way the Hunters Council did, it did not mean that she would want to become one. Did it? Would she do it for someone? For Zero? For him? His brain was starting to hurt.

Still looking unsure of himself, Kaname walked up to Arashi, drew his arms around her small form, and leaned in for the bite. She offered no resistance, no movement at all. If it were not for the blood rushing into his mouth, Kaname might have mistaken his meal for a statue. But the blood itself told him just how hard Arashi was working to stay frozen. The fire in the blood was blazing much more strongly than the first time he tasted it. He could almost hear the flaming energy in it screaming at Arashi to fight back, to kill him.

With every passing second of blood loss, the fiery dome surrounding the Sun Dorms dropped lower and lower until it disappeared completely, but not even the brave legions of fangirls were willing to step outside after being "cooked alive."

Just when Kaname thought he could drink no more of the overly filling energy drink, the vein flow slowed enough for him to know the damage was done. He pulled away from Arashi's neck, but did not let go of her pale body. She looked ready to pass out, but she still held herself erect.

No one could have predicted what she said next. "Run."

Kaname barely had time to dart away before Arashi's entire body was engulfed in flames. They flared and raged on her skin for a moment before being sucked in through every pore. She fell to her knees, and even her masterful control could not hide all of the pain she felt.

Aido finally got it! The self-loathing, the killing for her brother's sake, the changing of Yuki: he saw what Arashi had obviously planned from the beginning, and he was quickly running out of time.

"Kaname-sama!" he yelled, even though the night was almost silent in contrast to the fury raging within the Kiryu's body. "You have to give Arashi your blood!"

"What?"

Exasperated beyond belief by how much time he would waste explaining this, Aido said as quickly as he could, "A pureblood's bite will turn someone into a Level E vampire, but in an elemental…"

Kaname caught on quickly. "…Her fire blood is sensing the long term change and fighting it, accelerating the change and destroying her body in the process."

"Exactly," Aido paused for breath. "Arashi's trying to kill herself the only way she can: by forcing her own powers to turn on her."

Kaname leaped forward without a second thought. Even if this was what she wanted, he could not let Arashi die just that like that. It would be ungentlemanly of him.

As soon as she noticed him rushing towards her, Arashi stood and shouted haggardly, "Don't come any closer if you value your life, Kuran!"

Kaname stopped up short, but he did not look ready to quit. "My blood should work for you like it did for Zero. I can give you a little more time."

"I don't want it!"

"Well, you're going to get it!" Kaname tried to jump at Arashi again, but she drew a knife and began fending him off with perfectly executed swipes. But Kaname Kuran was not willing to back down.

During the midst of this little fray, Kain unexpectedly reappeared. "Shi-chan isn't dead, yet?" he lazily yawned to Aido.

His cousin stared at him as if he had two heads before grabbing him by the collar and hissing, "What do you mean, 'isn't dead, yet?' She told you about this?!"

Not that he would not have liked to glare at the boisterous, and shorter, vampire, but Kain had to feel some sympathy for the poor kid. "Yeah, she needed someone to let Zero out later. She knew if she told you, you would've tried to stop her."

Aido let go of his cousin's shirt, but he was not any happier. Furious as a geek deprived of his computer, he returned his attention to the fight in front of him. Kaname-sama still had not managed to break through Arashi's guard, but her condition was quickly deteriorating. Her control was slipping, and bursts of fire were sporadically shooting out through her skin.

Kaname finally managed to latch one hand onto her arm. Arashi swung around the other to knock him loose, but then, the unthinkable happened. One of those random bursts of fire shot out through her arm as it came down to strike Kaname's chest. He fell to the ground without any last words, a charred hole marking where his heart used to be.

Arashi fell soon after. The other vampires looked on warily, too shocked to cry out or even move. The scent of spilled pure blood and burned flesh tainted the air.

Aido knew what he had to do. Ignoring Kain's protests, he strode over to his dead master's body and dragged it closer to the dying elemental. Once down on the ground with them, he drew Arashi's knife along Kaname's limp arm and began rapidly sucking in mouthfuls of the pure blood.

Arashi could not move any longer. Every inch of her body was consumed by the ravaging fire that she knew would soon win. Her eyes were closed with relief that the end was in sight. Then, a strong hand forced her mouth to open. She felt something warm and soft press down on her lips and open. She knew this taste better than she knew the taste of chocolate! Blood! And this could not be just any regular blood.

No. She wanted to sit up and send him flying into another wall, but she could not summon the strength to move. She knew who this must be. After countless mouthfuls of blood, she opened her eyes. There was Aido's silly, familiar face. It was scorched here and there, no doubt by her own fire. She wanted to sit up and see what kind of damage she had unconsciously done to the rest of him, but weariness held her fast.

Slowly, the edge of the inner burning disappeared. The fires dimmed and put themselves out. This was why she had tried so hard to keep Kuran away. Once the fires tasted the pure blood, they were able to copy its effects on the Level E transformation…indefinitely. Aido had saved her from the death she chose, the death she wanted. She was immortal once more.

"Arashi!" A voice was calling her name from somewhere in the darkness. Who was that? "Arashi! Wake up!" It was getting louder. It could not be him, could it? "Arashi! Open your eyes this instant or I swear I'll lock you in a room with the headmaster for a week!"

Her eyes snapped open. She tried to take a deep breath upon realizing she could again but unceremoniously coughed and hacked when she found her lungs were not ready for so much work. Arashi sat up. She was still on the ground in the same place she had fallen before. It was still night, but the first glimmers of sun were peeking over the horizon. Zero was looking down on her with an amusing mixture of anger, fear, and relief. Of course it was Zero: no one else would have thought to threaten her with the headmaster.

The surge of disappointment Arashi had felt upon realizing it was Zero calling her name was nothing compared to the absolute horror that seized her when she became fully aware of her surroundings. No one had touched their bodies. There lay Kuran, heart gouged out by fire, his blood staining the white of his uniform.

And there, right next to her, lay Aido. The tiny burns she had seen on his face hours before looked like lines of colored pencil next to the gaping gashes of black, crispy, crumbling flesh covering his torso and arms and legs. She had known before that there was no way he would survive when she felt his body over hers, giving her Kuran's blood. Still, some tiny piece of her had hoped against hope for a miracle.

Happy endings don't exist.

* * *

It had been at least a week since the _incident_. Kuran's and Aido's bodies had been shipped back to their family homes for burial, and the Night Class all but disappeared for most of that time. Even Yuki, Zero, and the headmaster had taken a leave of absence to observe the funerals. 

Arashi had taken a dark, windowless room in the underground structures of the school the moment she was able to stand. The door had been locked, and to the knowledge of the academy's other occupants, she had not left it since and no one else had been admitted.

Kain was worried about his little sister. The death of his cousin was a fresh wound for him, but he knew she was suffering over it as well. Kaname-sama? Somehow, he doubted she felt the same amount of guilt and remorse over that. Still, locking herself up like that wasn't healthy.

Besides, she was supposed to be a vampire now, and Kain hadn't smelled any blood on the campus.

"Arashi?" he called as he knocked on the door to her self-inflicted prison for the thirtieth time. Zero and Yuki-sama had both tried that day to no avail. He was, at that point, their "last hope." "Arashi, will you open up already?" Nicknames and frivolity had practically been banned at Cross Academy. Besides, without Aido there to be annoyed, calling the hunter "Shi-chan" seemed kind of out of place.

The heavy door finally swung inwards to reveal total darkness. Kain cautiously took a few paces in, and the door thundered shut behind him. Flying sparks soared from a spot against the back wall to light a few mounted torches. The damp, stone walls still gave off the impression of a dungeon, but now it was a dungeon with medieval lamps.

"I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be alone," Arashi said from her position leaning against the wall. Her skin was paler than ever, but other than that, she appeared normal to the untrained eye. Who would've guessed that elementals could stand long periods of starvation, dehydration, and social deprivation?

It was a good thing Kain hadn't come for a visit on a whim, or he wouldn't have been able to think of anything to say at this point that wouldn't get him throttled. "Ichijo-kun had an idea."

Arashi didn't move, but her eyes focused on him a little more sharply, letting him know she was paying attention. Really, how often did Takuma Ichijo get bright ideas? It might be something worth writing down for future generations to treasure.

"He thinks that, now that you're a vampire-" Kain paused as Arashi visibly flinched at the term. She had attempted to become dead, not undead. "Now that you're a vampire," he continued, "your fire blood is vampire blood, and it might be able to do for Zero what it does for you, healing instead of killing a vampire. Kaname-sama's blood won't hold off the Level E transformation forever."

"Did you bring something to carry it back in?"

Kain sighed. Somehow, he knew she wasn't going to leave her dungeon of solitude, so he had come prepared. Arashi eyed the medium-size thermos he had brought with a slight sense of déjà vu. Granted, this container was much more sleek and professional than the empty water bottle she'd used on Kuran, but it brought back memories all the same.

Who would've thought that a hunter's blood might someday be used to save a vampire? Arashi bit into her wrist and watched the blood swell and drip from the deep incisions. She had bitten hard, so the thermos filled up quickly. As soon as the blood touched the upper rim, she screwed the lid on with the dexterity of a professional scientist at home in his lab and handed the article back to Kain.

He stuck the heavy object back in his large coat pocket but made no move to leave. Killing her elemental masters for training her to be a monster? Kain could understand that. Wanting to kill herself for being the monster she had become? He didn't like it, but Kain could even accept that. However, now that she had been given a second chance at life, a fresh start, and at the cost of his cousin's life, she was wasting away in a dark hole in the ground. That, he couldn't understand.

"He wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," Kain attempted to appeal to Arashi's guilt over Aido's death, if she felt guilty, that is.

"Since when have I ever done what he wants?" she countered.

She wasn't going to make this whole "reasoning" junk easy, was she? "Look, Aido…he loved you, and he wanted you to live or have a life or something," Kain tried again. Arashi was silent. "Did you love him?"

She didn't need to think about it. This question had invaded her mind more than once in recent days. "No." Kain was about to accuse her of being in denial when she elaborated, "I love my brother, but I don't know anything past that kind of familial love. It isn't part of a hunter's training." She smiled bitterly. "Maybe I did feel something for him past friendship, but I wouldn't know it, not even now."

That was more honesty than Kain had expected to hear, and he had a feeling it wouldn't help to try and convince her of anything else.

Arashi's pallor stood out despite the flickering orange and red light from the torches. "You need to feed," Kain stated. Although he had never heard anything about an elemental vampire, he could see that the one in front of him suffered from the need for blood as badly as any other vampire, even a pureblood.

Arashi looked away. "Why do you think I've locked myself in here?" She shifted in her stance, but kept supporting herself on the wall as she locked eyes with him again. "I won't trade being one kind of monster for becoming another."

Kain could hear his cousin saying the same words as he voiced them. "Am I a monster?"

Her face looked pained, and her resolve weakened. "No," she answered.

Kain crossed the small room in a few large strides. He pulled aside the collars of his shirt and jacket and bent down until his neck was right in front of her mouth. "Then stop starving yourself, you anorexic," he ordered.

Unable to resist any longer, Arashi latched onto his neck like the hungry child she was, throwing her arms around his head to pull him closer. The thirst, the vampire's curse, the cost of their supernatural abilities, had been clawing at her body every moment of every day and night for the past week. Her chest had been racked by shooting pains and convulsions. Now, all it took was one bite to alleviate all her symptoms.

It was strange to be savoring each drop of blood that entered her mouth when her past profession had involved carelessly spilling it by the bucket load on a daily basis. Arashi had not expected it to taste as sweet as it did, but she supposed that just came from being a vampire. It wasn't like she had any prior experience in that department.

Drinking in the red fluid gave the most peculiar sensation. Suddenly, Arashi could barely notice anything else around her. Maybe it was the level of starvation she had stretched herself to, but she didn't feel anything but the blood slipping down her throat to soothe her aching organs and muscles. Any other teenage, human girl in her position might have savored the feel of having her lips pressed tightly to a tall, strong vampire's neck, but Arashi was a little preoccupied by the blood. Any other human girl might have shivered with delight when Kain wrapped his arms around her back and lifted her off her feet, holding her pressed against his body. But, again, Arashi was feeding, and the blood was more important.

She only sucked in the, literally, life-giving drink for a minute or so. Yes, she had finally given in to the fact that she was a vampire and would have to drink blood to live, and apparently she had decided on living, but that didn't mean she was going to start out by gorging herself on it. She was still a hunter and, as any good psychiatrist would say, "Small steps."

Kain set Arashi back on her feet and backed away quickly, applying pressure to the marks on his neck with his shirt. She didn't look like she was going to say anything else, so he walked back to the door and opened it.

The torches went out as soon as the first ray of outer light crept in, and the room was once again bathed in darkness. From within that black hole, Arashi whispered, "Thank you."

Kain cast one last glance at where he assumed she still stood and gave a smile and a nod in return. Then, he closed the door and left to deliver the all-important thermos, mentally preparing himself to pretend to be deaf when the questions about his neck and blood popped up.

* * *

Early the next morning, Zero strode down the underground hallways to his sister's little white, er, black room. He could feel the change already. Arashi's blood was doing its work, and since it hadn't killed him instantly upon being injected, he was pretty sure his lifespan and sanity were ranking right up there with the elemental's. Okay, the sanity issue was questionable considering what she'd been doing to herself recently, but other than that, the future looked bright. 

In fact, Zero had some really good news, if anything involving live vampires could be called good. According to the headmaster, who had been hiding the truth and had been dully glared at by Zero, Yuki was not only a pureblood, she was Yuki _Kuran_. So, despite Kaname's demise, most of the Night Class was willing to remain at Cross Academy to continue working towards peace between humans and vampires, and to be near a pureblood. He and Yuki would both be joining the Night Class, but he was slowly coming to terms with that little piece of misfortune.

He knocked on Arashi's door and wasn't too surprised to receive no answer. Hope had been restored to a certain extent by Kain's success, but Zero knew better than to expect an instant recovery. He reached down to turn what he expected to be a locked doorknob and was shocked to find it twisting easily in his hand. Zero flung the door open and let the hallway's light flood into the small room.

Arashi was gone. He checked and double-checked every corner of the tiny space, but there was no sign of her: no letter, no note, no post-it, no strand of hair, no speck of dandruff, nothing!

Zero shouldn't have been too surprised. When he was bitten, the only reason he was able to pull through without killing himself for what he had become was Yuki. He didn't know what Arashi would do, but he knew that she needed some time to figure out how to live as one of the things she had hunted for so long.

She might come back someday. She might not. Only one thing was for sure, and it was something Fire's Storm knew all too well: Happy endings don't exist.

The End

* * *

Author's Note: 

Well, as the end of this chapter says, we have finally reached the end. Ends on Lucky 13! - Never thought it would come, did you? -; First of all, I know I told some people that there'd be at least a few more chapters, so I'd like to profusely apologize! I kind of ended up giving the whole ending away in one giant package...so, at least you got a long end, right? (Please don't hurt me.)

I don't know if this is the case, but some of you may be going: "You can't end a story like that! We need closure!" Well, you're in luck. There is an epilogue...for after the end!!! But, although I don't believe I've ever done this before, I'm going to demand at least 10 reviews before posting it. (Yeah, I know this fandom won't get too big until the anime comes out in April, but still...I see all you little people hiding in the shadows! Come on, I'm not even asking for long reviews here, and this is the end...TT.TT)

Well, as always, hope you enjoyed reading, and please review!

Music (used to keep me in "serious mode" for this chapter): "Raven" by Do As Infinity

Big thank yous to everyone who reviewed/favorited/alerted on last chapter and to everyone who has kept coming back to read more!


	14. Epilogue: Unending Night

Disclaimer: Well, we've finally reached the real end, and I still don't own Vampire Knight...Arashi was right: Happy endings don't exist.

* * *

Epilogue: _Unending Night_

Kain looked back at the Moon Dormitory behind him as he closed the front door and walked towards the headmaster's house under the rising moon. Not much had changed in the five years he had been gone. Cross Academy still looked as it always had, except for the lack of students, this week being a school vacation. Only the headmaster, Zero, Yuki, and a few close friends had chosen to remain during the break. Now that his luggage was safely deposited in his old room, Kain was on his way to join them for a late dinner/early breakfast.

When Kaname died, most of the Night Class remained at the academy to protect and be near the newly discovered pureblood, Yuki Cross. Kain himself had stayed for almost five years before returning home to take a more active role in his family's company but only after he made sure Yuki-sama was sufficiently safe under the watchful eyes of Seiren, a former "bodyguard" of Kaname's. Not that such measures were really necessary with Zero Kiryu sticking to her like grease on a cheese steak, but one couldn't be too careful.

Kiryu—there was a name that still burned in Kain's mind, even after ten long years. No one had heard the smallest wisp of a whisper about Arashi since she disappeared.

The headmaster surmised that she only came to Cross Academy in the first place to meet her little brother before attempting to end her life; having a pureblood residing in the same place just saved her an extra trip. But even the headmaster couldn't begin to fathom what Arashi was doing out there, all alone, now that her best chance to die was forever gone.

Although the marks had faded within days of the feeding, Kain could still reach into his memory and feel her teeth slipping into his neck as if it had been yesterday. It was funny, the way time changed things, and vampires had more time than anyone, unless a crazed hunter went after them. Back then, Arashi had been the object of Aido's attentions and a weary, broken little sister to Kain. Now?

Well, obviously Kain had realized some time ago that he couldn't just look at her like a sister anymore, especially, as cruel and heartless as it sounds, with Aido dead. But what was she, then? He supposed he needn't worry about the matter after ten years. She'd given no indication that she was coming back, and he probably wouldn't be able to figure out anything until he saw her, anyway.

He opened the front door to see many familiar faces gathered together in the front living room, a hearty fire casting friendly shadows. Senri Shiki and Rima Tooya looked the same as always sitting on one of the couches. Takuma Ichijo still had his nose stuck in a ridiculous vampire manga. Ruka Souen still had that aloof stance that said, "You are not worthy of my presence." Seiren was standing off in a corner, alert as ever. Headmaster Cross's face was starting to betray his age with small creases forming at the corners of his eyes, but he was only human after all. Yuki-sama was leaning against Zero's side in front of the fireplace. Kain had no doubt the Kiryu never let their pureblood out of his arms when they were alone, but he was still a restrained stiff in public.

However, Yuki-sama burst towards the door as soon as Kain was inside. "We're so glad you could make it, Kain-san! It's been too long!" She looked like she was itching to pull the vampire into a bone crushing hug, but knowing how uncomfortable it was when purebloods to treat their subordinates that way, she refrained.

Kain gave Yuki-sama a side grin and nod of the head. To the room in general, he announced, "It's good to be back." Then, he noticed Kiryu giving a most decidedly devious smirk from his position by the fire. It almost made him look evil.

Zero walked over to join the two in front of the door. "So, what's the occasion?"

Yuki punched Zero in his arm. Even with her pureblood strength, it did about as much to him now as it had when she was human. Arashi's fire blood had kept her fellow Kiryu alive and better than new for years with no sign of any deterioration. Zero could even take blood tablets now the way Yuki did. Of course, every now and then he'd steal a snack from his wife's neck, but what was wrong with that?

"Zero! Why are you being so mean?" Yuki fumed. "Just because he missed the wedding two years ago and has barely spoken to us for a while is no reason to be like that!"

At this point, the headmaster popped in, "Ah, Kain! Are you here to see my adorable granddaughter?!" The man was bordering on squealing yet again. Note to all present: keep all things familial and cute at least three oceans away from this guy.

Kain used that infamous half-smile and replied, "Yes, I thought I better see what kind of danger Yuki-sama has unleashed on the world."

"DANGER?!" Okay, it had passed "bordering." He was officially squealing. "MY BEAUTIFUL AMAYA-CHAN WOULDN'T HURT A FLY! JUST BECAUSE SHE'S HALF PUREBLOOD AND HALF FIRE SOMETHING OR OTHER—"

Ignoring the high pitched shrieks that were quickly being silenced by a threatening glare from Zero and whispers about the baby being asleep, Kain asked, "Amaya-chan, huh?"

"Yeah," Yuki-sama answered. "I thought about naming her _Kaname_, but Zero wouldn't budge. He actually wanted her to be _Arashi_, so we found a cross between the two. Kaname-sama was a vampire of the night and rain is part of a storm, hence, 'night rain.'"

Kain's grin drooped down into a sad smile of memory at the mention of Arashi. "I think it'll suit her just fine."

Perceptive pureblood that she was, Yuki tried to draw Kain's attention to something else. "Would you like to see her? She's asleep right now, two doors down the hall on the right." Or maybe she was just a doting mother.

"Sure." Kain was willing to take the bait and be distracted.

He walked down the hallway silently and opened the last door to find a small nursery complete with a furnished sitting area and fireplace. The crib in the back of the room was a beautiful piece of woodwork, but the baby inside put the luster of the railings to shame. She had inherited the Kuran brown waves of hairs, and her porcelain skin shone brightly in the glow from the fire.

Turning away from the crib, Kain glanced over the sitting area in front of the chimney place. A few long sofas were arranged around a rug, much like the living room out front. Kain was a little surprised that Yuki-sama hadn't followed him and was ready to return to the group when an unexplainable compulsion struck him. He wanted to see if the couches were as soft as they looked.

Well, far be it from the powers of the universe to stop a vampire who wants to poke the top cushion of a couch, so Kain took a few steps towards the red furniture. He was all ready to see if it was indeed a piece of exquisite quality when he looked down.

There she was, her timeless face completely unchanged by the years. Her hair had been cut short, about the length of Zero's. The blanket was slipping off her sleeping form, and there was nothing about her appearance to suggest that she'd just spent ten years alone in who knows where. It seemed a bit anti-climatic. After ten years of relentlessly listening to every rumor, every piece of meaningless news, there she was, sleeping contentedly right in front of him.

He moved to the front of the couch and kneeled down beside her. She still hadn't stirred. "Well," he whispered, "now I know why Takuma was so insistent in his invitation this time."

Kain wasted no more time on words. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the side of her neck and bit her. His fangs met no resistance and punctured the skin easily. The sweet fire blood had lost none of its potency, and Kain drank for a few moments in absolute bliss.

When he pulled away, he wasn't surprised to see Arashi's eyes open and staring at him bemusedly. "What was that for?" she asked.

Putting on that abominable smirk again for the first time since she had left, Kain answered, "Kaname-sama got a taste. I'm guessing Aido did, too. I was feeling left out." Arashi smiled back and sat up allowing Kain to take a seat. "What are you doing here?"

"Part-time bodyguard and teacher: apparently, Amaya-chan inherited a little bit of fire power along with that vampire blood." Arashi rubbed her eyes, forcing the sleepy stupor away.

"You planning on staying here for a while?" Kain couldn't drag his eyes away from her, literally. If he so much as blinked during her answer to this, he might miss a crucial twitch or flinch that would speak more truthfully than words.

"Yeah, for a while," she answered without hesitation.

Not detecting anything to the contrary in her body language, Kain said, "Good." It was official. He didn't have a name for it yet, like "love," but Kain could finally admit that he needed Arashi. All thoughts of a brother-sister relationship were totally out the window. But he would have to approach this carefully. After all, the last guy who tried to kiss Arashi finally got his kiss, but he wound up dead.

"Stay with the kid for second," Arashi ordered. "I'm going to go get Yuki, who is currently rushing back to the living room with the others, trying to act like they weren't just eavesdropping."

Kain was glad to be in this place, to be home, even if the people were a little nosy.

"Oh," she paused at the door, "I like you, too." Kain gave Arashi one of his few flustered and bewildered looks. She tapped her head with one finger. "Mind reader, remember? I may be a vampire, but I'm still an elemental."

Well, he would need to watch what he thought from now on, although he didn't think Arashi would really invade his privacy like again. It was impossible to tell where things would go or how long forming a "relationship" would take, but they were vampires. They were practically immortal, especially the one with elemental powers. Kain didn't expect a perfect, easy route to lay itself out for them. Neither did Arashi. They didn't need "perfect." It wasn't worth looking for "perfect" because it would never be found.

Happy endings don't exist. But how can they when _endings_ don't exist? The world of vampires is an unending night filled with the storms of life. And there's always a new mystery to unravel hidden in the storm.

* * *

Author's Note:

Yep, I have finally completed this stupid fic. Phew...too much work. pants heavily like old beagle after running too much to retrieve tennis ball

Well, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my readers, the people who have favorited me/the story, alerted me/the story, and those who reviewed...especially the wonderful people who indulged my idiotic demand for ten new reviews before posting this ending. (Be sure to thank them because I could've and would've refrained from posting this without their encouragement.)

Not that anyone really cares, but I do not know what kind of fic I'll attempt next. I have ideas for a bunch of different series, but nothing concrete...so ideas are welcome, though I make no promises, except: for the next fic, I will type the entire thing before posting the first chapter, so I can update once a week instead of once a month. It might make for a shorter amount of time from start to finish, but I doubt anyone would mind that. (People today like instant gratification, right?)

Thanks again to everybody! All your support forced me to actually finish this! Feel free to leave a review (you know, since it is the end and all) whether you liked, loved, hated, or despised it!


End file.
